Switzerland is proud of being a democracy, of being internationally neutral and of not having been involved in conflict since a civil war in 1848. But it still has the second-largest armed force per head of population in the world. Why? Military service is mandatory, with almost all eligible males trained as soldiers and women also serving as volunteers. Despite the strong gun culture, there are rarely more than 40 gun homicides a year, compared with the US with its 30,000 gun murders a year and 31 every day. Nonetheless, a fresh debate over gun control has been rekindled in Switzerland.
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