Swiss Vote on Gun Control Fires Up Spirit of William Tell
- Ballot on restrictions for semi-automatic guns due on May 19
- Rejection could catapult Switzerland out of Schengen area
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In the eyes of rifle lover Andre Maury, centuries of tradition are under threat.
The 63-year-old is president of Geneva’s historic shooting club, housed in a gray stone building at the center of town. Sporting a blue sweatshirt emblazoned with the founding year -- 1474 -- he says shooting is a sport that requires autonomy and a willingness to stick to the rules. Those qualities are emblematic for Switzerland, whose folk hero William Tell, an expert marksman, launched a rebellion against foreign rule.