I love Germany...

[OpaDC]

but give me a break. Banning paintball and laser tag because "on the grounds that they trivialise and encourage violence." ???? A little overreaction don't you think? Not going to say my stand on gun control and not meant to make a political statement (please don't), but wonder what's next. Banning cops and robbers (or whatever they play) while pointing fingers?

[thestinker]

A friend of mines kid was play hunting at recess...animals, not people. He was even over ny the tree line. A teacher called him out and told him no guns at school..not even pretend guns. He doesn't like sports, or music or art or anything else, but him and his dad hunt. His dad was seriously not happy with the school.

[sparkeyjames]

but give me a break. Banning paintball and laser tag but wonder what's next. Banning cops and robbers (or whatever they play) while pointing fingers?

They already did that at some elementary school. I read an article on this awhile back. Suspended the kids for a couple of days. Zero tolerance and all that.

I do not agree with the banning of paintball guns. It is stupid. I really hate fear mongering in the press or at the political level. I play paintball and I'm one of the least violent people you'll ever meet. I don't even own a real gun. I think playing paintball is just absolutely awesome fun. Gets a little expensive to play but it is still a great time. ($50 entry plus 2 boxes of 2000 paintballs $100) That is for a MAJOR event with maybe 1500 to 2000 people playing. Don't get me started on how much the equipment costs $$$$. Welts let me show you them.
Also your paintball mask can double as a face shield in the shop.

[cgallery]

Maybe it isn't such a bad idea. I mean, let 'em play laser tag/paintball today, and tomorrow they'll be itching to invade Poland.

[OpaDC]

Maybe it isn't such a bad idea. I mean, let 'em play laser tag/paintball today, and tomorrow they'll be itching to invade Poland.

Where would your Polish sausage come from then, Usinger's?

edit: LOML is from Milwaukee, that's how I know

[Richard in Smithville]

Unfortunately it only takes a few extreeme situations to spoil it for everyone else.

[sparkeyjames]

Unfortunately it only takes a few extreeme situations to spoil it for everyone else.

No it only takes an idiot and a knee jerk reaction to spoil it for everyone else. Paintball has no correlation between that and the use of a real gun the contexts are completely different. The aiming and firing of a paintball gun at 280fps is so completely different from a real gun it is not even funny. I don't own a real gun but I have fired them on a range and while skeet shooting.

The German politicos argument is that it fosters violence with weapons and commando training. This is so far from the truth that it is laughable.

[Tom Slick]

Following this line of logic maybe the Military, Police, and all of their hardware along with war reporting should be hidden from youngster's view. The kids may aspire to be these people and could potentially perform atrocities.

One more example of legislating a way to cover up for poor behavior.

[thestinker]

Heres the other thing....if I have it in my mind to go and do evil, I will use whatever is available. A car, length of pipe, kitchen knife, hammer...whatever. I can run over a lot of folks with a 4000 lb pickup truck on a bussy street. More likely injur a lot more that way than with a gun before anyone can do anything about it. Funny, no one wants to ban voltswagons.....

[jackellis]

Following is a theory not based on any conversations with German nationals. My guess is that government and society are bending over backwards to avoid any possibility of German militarization. Having been involved in two devastating wars in the20th century, German leaders are determined to avoid getting sucked into a third. The same holds true, though perhaps to a lesser extent, in places like France, Spain and Italy. They have armies, but they're not spoiling for a fight.

[gerti]

When I read about that in the German newspaper I thought that was over the top. But this thread has me thinking about it some more: when I moved here in 1994 and first found out about paintball it had me cringing, I thought that was a very questionable activity. Clearly 15 years of exposure to American culture had an impact on me.

Violence is not tolerated in Germany. Having seen many movies in both Germany and here, they are very different in what is cut out (violence there, s*x here). Many video games kids grow up with here are restricted in Germany.

Maybe some numbers give perspective: in 2007, all of Germany (population 82M) had 884 murder victims (compare to 801 just in New York, population 19M).

So having a second school shooting with many victims does have the Germans worried and thinking.

[LinuxRandal]

Maybe it isn't such a bad idea. I mean, let 'em play laser tag/paintball today, and tomorrow they'll be itching to invade Poland.

EDIT: Trying to figure out how to respond to that, as I both laugh at it, and have mixed emotions about the idea of people falling in line, and not thinking for themselves (the old soldier verses free thinker argument).

No it only takes an idiot and a knee jerk reaction to spoil it for everyone else.

And the idiot could be either the one with the knee jerk reaction, or the one that started it (people have done wierd things do to medical reasons too).

Heres the other thing....if I have it in my mind to go and do evil, I will use whatever is available. A car, length of pipe, kitchen knife, hammer...whatever.

It could be argued, that the most dangerous weapon of all, is an idea (and in history a person to push it forth).

[herb fellows]

Following is a theory not based on any conversations with German nationals. My guess is that government and society are bending over backwards to avoid any possibility of German militarization. Having been involved in two devastating wars in the20th century, German leaders are determined to avoid getting sucked into a third. The same holds true, though perhaps to a lesser extent, in places like France, Spain and Italy. They have armies, but they're not spoiling for a fight.

Not to mention Japan.