Paintball just on good morning america

[Automaggin2]

They had a thing on how teens can be really cruel, and how they video tape there cruelty. they showed some teens shooting some alaskan natives with paintball guns.

[jaylock33]

Ya that happened a while ago but the sad thing is its idiots like those kids that hurt the sport.

[SIGSays]

that is pretty sad... but i kind of see why they do it... but it's still wrong... they should be beat

[shartley]

That was not paintball. That was some jerks using paintball markers to commit assault. Would someone say “Baseball on Good Morning America” if they showed someone beating someone with a baseball bat? How about a golf club? Or a hockey stick?

Or how about when they beat Reginald Dennahey (sp?) with bricks? “Masonry on Good Morning America”. ;)

These things pop up now and again and reporting it is not a bad thing. What is bad is that folks associate it with paintball… to include paintball players.. as this thread clearly demonstrates. The first thing to we as a paintball community need to do is totally disavow such actions as being any part of the sport, and clearly make it known that the equipment is NOT the sport, no more than a table saw or a hammer is carpentry.

[JEDI]

Shartley some times you really impress me. ;) Its great how Network news will dig up bad things to show, randomly, however you'd never see a random 2 minute blurb on some kids having fun at a local PB feild. I mean I obviously know why they show what they show, but its just rediculous.

[xadamx]

in alaska?! we gotta save doc nickle!!:eek:

[doc_Zox]

Sarah Brady and the Million Mom March has not gone away

They want to emasculate any "gun" sport

[Brak]

i totally agree with shartley, he hit the nail on the head right there

[boggerman]

We had an incident of "drive-by paintballing" here not long ago where a couple of teen aged kids shot a little girl and a police officer (<--there's a bright idea:rolleyes: ) through the open window of his cruiser. The local media called a buddy of mine who owns a paintball business for his input. He said the reporter seemed to keep an open mind and actually listen to what he had to say. My thought was this: when there is a hit and run accident, do the reporters call the Ford dealer? If there is a shooting, do they call the Sportsman's Warehouse? If there is a stabbing, do they call Cutlery USA? If there is grafiti on the walls, do they call Krylon?
NO!
The point is, shartley was dead on.

[EnderWigginPballin]

Originally posted by JEDI
Its great how Network news will dig up bad things to show, randomly, however you'd never see a random 2 minute blurb on some kids having fun at a local PB feild. I mean I obviously know why they show what they show, but its just rediculous.

That's because covering something like a paintball walk on day would be utterly pointless, as it's not news, and it's a weak feature story because most people wouldn't find it interesting.

The problem with broadcast journalism is the time limit. The big Networks would never show something like that during a news broadcast because all they have is like a half an hour to go over the real NEWS. They don't have time for cute little fatures.

In print journalism, no one would care about the walk-ons, it would be better to cover a local tournament of some sort, or to interview a local team that's moving up to a higher level of competition.

the reason they do show the bad stuff is basic human nature... wasn't it in "stranger in a strange land" that the main character noted that the main part of our humor consists of people getting hurt? Everyone wants to hear the bad stuff, it's more interesting.

[Teen]

years ago, me and a couple of my friends were um out having fun playing baseball with windows, and when the cops caught us the one kids backpack that was open(it did have the bat in it but he threw it). They were like " so guys weres the paintball gun!" and they kept asking us were it was and i finally said "yea i have a paintball gun" then they wanted to know where it was at and i told them..." at my house" lol. o yea a paintball is gonna put a 7 inch diameter whole in a doublepain window, one of those windows with wires that run through it, made a cool sound when i hit it. anyways they thought we were using paintball guns because people at that time were riding around and doing drive-by shootings with frozen paintballs. the shot through an old ladies window and hit her in the head. she had to go to the hospital.
o yea, this was back when i was a little juvanile delinquent. lol

[Ov3rmind]

Originally posted by Teen
years ago, me and a couple of my friends were um out having fun playing baseball with windows, and when the cops caught us the one kids backpack that was open(it did have the bat in it but he threw it). They were like " so guys weres the paintball gun!" and they kept asking us were it was and i finally said "yea i have a paintball gun" then they wanted to know where it was at and i told them..." at my house" lol. o yea a paintball is gonna put a 7 inch diameter whole in a doublepain window, one of those windows with wires that run through it, made a cool sound when i hit it. anyways they thought we were using paintball guns because people at that time were riding around and doing drive-by shootings with frozen paintballs. the shot through an old ladies window and hit her in the head. she had to go to the hospital.
o yea, this was back when i was a little juvanile delinquent. lol
Hm, I vote "not cool".

[magsRus]

Yeah but you see they will ban paintball if so many more incidents of shootings keep popping up. But wait they wont banned baseball when people get the crap beatin out of them with bats..or in some peoples cases decide to break windows.

[Lopy-slopy]

It's because baseball is more generaly excepted as a sport. People can clearly tell the differnce between some kid's playing a game of baseball and some kids beating a guy with a bat. People see a game of paintball and see us shooting each other with guns for fun. Then they see vid's of people shooting people on the street for fun. Scince they arn't exposed to paintball to much they think, that's paintball. They are still using the marker the way it's supposed to be used(point a person, shoot person) there just being jackasses.

[Pvt.Opium]

Kids like that give Paintball a bad name......Sport wont go far if these type of things keep occuring. I just hope more people have more common sense...

[shartley]

Shooting people without proper protective gear on is NOT using the equipment like it was intended to be used, sorry. The action of shooting it is the same, but then again, so is the action of swinging a bat. The targets are also not the same. In baseball it is a baseball… in Paintball it is another PLAYER with the correct safety gear on.

To say innocent people not engaged in a game of paintball or with the proper safety gear on are the same as those in a game with the proper safety gear on, is the same as saying that any car on a car lot is the same as a Nascar car because they are both automobiles. There IS a difference and not seeing that is a dangerous thing.

Folks need to step as far away from these crimes (as a paintball community) as they can and not help in ANY way draw a similarity between the crimes and an actual GAME of paintball.

As for those that think the sport will not go far as long as these typed of things keep happening…. Well, I have heard that said for YEARS. And every now and again some jerk commits a crime using a paintball marker. And the sport is GROWING. ;) It is not growing because of misuse of its equipment, but it isn’t falling apart because if it either. I think overall the general public knows what is a crime and not related to a particular sport, and what isn’t. And I don’t think people give the general public enough credit in this regard.

Does this mean that these types of things can’t make the sport look bad? Not at all.. but only if the PLAYERS keep drawing the connection too. When the paintball community stands up and denounces these actions as any part of the sport, any misconceptions that may be floating around will be alleviated. And that includes on paintball forums as well.

Like I have stated in other threads, the last couple years has seen a drastic change in Paintball Perception, at least in MY area. When I tell folks that I make paintball products they are eager to talk about the sport, friends and family they know that play it, etc. This is in sharp contrast to several years ago when the mention of “paintball” would bring raised eyebrows and condescending looks. And I have not changed the “circle” of people I see or hang around with. This tells you something…………….

The sky is not falling, the sky is not falling…… folks need to keep things in proper perspective, and in their proper place…. If paintball players can’t, how do they expect the general public to? ;) Again, I think some folks don’t give the general public enough credit.

[Peach]

It's just publicity... It's also good to think about it this way, there are few enough of these paintball gun missuse incidents that they put them on the news. How many baseball bat beatings out of 100 would go on the news? 1, 2? 10 at most? But everytime someone does something bad with a paintballgun, it goes on the news, or it seems like 40-50% of the time it is. Now, In my mind this is a good think rather then having the mentalitly that, "Oh that happens everyday." Baseball/golf club beating happen daily, those are not put on because they are rare. When paintball gun shootings are out of the news spotlight and just a "normal" thing, then you need to worry about the image. I am not saying that it is a good thing for this to happen, but the rarity shows that it's not the chosen and most preferred gangbang weapon on the streets. It will never get that way in my mind, it's to expensive, they buy drugs with that. The positive side :)

[Aliens-8-MyDad]

i think one of the leading causes to the "paintball crimes" is wal-mart if they didnt sell the guns we would hear so much about kids shooting animals or drive bys...

[shartley]

Originally posted by Aliens-8-MyDad
i think one of the leading causes to the "paintball crimes" is wal-mart if they didnt sell the guns we would hear so much about kids shooting animals or drive bys...
I have to disagree vigorously.

Wal-Mart is not the problem, nor are inexpensive markers. If you eliminated the very lowest end of markers and took them out of stores like Wal-Mart, these idiots would STILL get markers (and I question whether all these crimes ARE committed with the lowest end markers) and folks would be then blaming Spyder and others.

Remember when taking a baseball bat and driving around with your buddies and taking out mailboxes was the “cool” thing to do (and still is in some places)? I guess we can blame the leading cause for these things on the availability of the bats too?

The leading causes for these crimes are IDIOTS and JERKS. PERIOD.

[jaylock33]

I guess I should have clarified myself earlyier but oh well. When I said that they hurt the sport by doing this I didn't mean to imply that this has anything to actually playing paintball, but it is incedents like this that if occuring often enough will result in negative oppinions of paintball and hurt the sport in the long run.

[shade23]

I can't believe that video clip was dug up just now. It's roughly two to three years old and the idiots responible where caught and punished by the authorities. If my memory serves, I think one was tried as an adult even, for first degree assualt.
But its nice to see that the media is being so alarmist about the whole paintball affair (sarcasm here).

Speaking of positive media blurbs, the local media here just had a 10 minute spot on Alaskan competitive paintball games, and how team ELEMENT runs their field. It also covered the fact that the city of Anchorage is trying to get rid of the field only to replace it with a softball field (due to the fact that the land is leased from the city parks division).

[Lopy-slopy]

Originally posted by shartley

I have to disagree vigorously.

Wal-Mart is not the problem, nor are inexpensive markers. If you eliminated the very lowest end of markers and took them out of stores like Wal-Mart, these idiots would STILL get markers (and I question whether all these crimes ARE committed with the lowest end markers) and folks would be then blaming Spyder and others.

Remember when taking a baseball bat and driving around with your buddies and taking out mailboxes was the “cool” thing to do (and still is in some places)? I guess we can blame the leading cause for these things on the availability of the bats too?

The leading causes for these crimes are IDIOTS and JERKS. PERIOD.

I don't think walmart is to blame, but I would have to say, if they didn't sell cheap markers, fewer idiots would get their hands on them and ther would be fewer drive by paintballings. Not many people would be willing to spend 100+ on paintball equipment from a real store just for jokes, but they will definatly spend 20 for a blade. But if they stoped selling them their would also be less noobs getting into the sport and making it grow. IMO wallmart gets more PB guns into more people's hands, the more people with PB guns the more people that will use them for bad

[Aliens-8-MyDad]

shartley i have to disagree vigorusly with you :D people wouldnt want to go through all the trouble of finding a paintball store or ordering one online, ussually these acts are random not planned, so they say "hmmm, i know! i can go walmart and buy a crapy gun to get back at my teachers car!" not "Hmmm let me find a paintball store, drive 20 minutes and buy a $100 gun casue they have nothing cheaper" they are idiots like u said, but i dont think they would accually go to a remote place so they can purchase a marker. they know of the convience of walmart, they are everywhere... now go disagre vigoursly with me again, i dont care your not gonna change my feelings.

[shartley]

Originally posted by Lopy-slopy


I don't think walmart is to blame, but I would have to say, if they didn't sell cheap markers, fewer idiots would get their hands on them and ther would be fewer drive by paintballings. Not many people would be willing to spend 100+ on paintball equipment from a real store just for jokes, but they will definatly spend 20 for a blade. But if they stoped selling them their would also be less noobs getting into the sport and making it grow. IMO wallmart gets more PB guns into more people's hands, the more people with PB guns the more people that will use them for bad
Now here is what I am talking about… misconceptions from within.

I seriously don’t think people run to Wal-Mart to buy a cheap paintball marker JUST FOR JOKES. The problem is not the amount of people who own paintball markers. And the problem is not cheap paintball markers. The problem is, again, jerks and idiots.

I would like someone to prove that crimes committed with paintball equipment are committed vastly with the cheap Wal-Mart markers. Seriously I would like that to be shown to me. I will stand by my original belief that the price of a marker is not the determining factor whether it will be used in a crime, but that it is the OWNER who is the determining factor. And I don’t think folks run to Wal-Mart to buy markers just so they can go commit a crime with them.

And I would also bet that the vast majority of Wal-mart markers are sold for perfectly legal purposes that don’t include even the possibility of committing a crime with them.

I think even thinking otherwise shows a prejudice against low end markers and their owners that is not only wrong, but unfounded. Low end markers are the perfect stepping stones into the sport of Paintball for a vast number of players. I know that parents are more likely to buy their child $60 worth of equipment (to include marker, tank, mask, and a few balls) to see if their child even likes the sport, than to go out and spend $100+ for JUST the marker. How many times do kids REALLLLY REALLLLY REALLLLLLY want something, or to DO something, only to get tired of it soon afterward?

No, low end markers and their sales are NOT the problem. And you would think folks would realize this and put the blame squarely where it belongs (on the one committing the crime), and not the equipment… no matter the cost of the equipment. But I guess not…………

[Aliens-8-MyDad]

shartley you may think that people dont do that, but i know they do! ive seen it happen, friends ask to barrow my gun for wrong doing and i say no, so they drive up to walmart and buy a cheap one. its all about the convience, make a low end gun harder to get, and it should stop most of the acts of paintball crime

[shartley]

Originally posted by Aliens-8-MyDad
shartley i have to disagree vigorusly with you :D people wouldnt want to go through all the trouble of finding a paintball store or ordering one online, ussually these acts are random not planned, so they say "hmmm, i know! i can go walmart and buy a crapy gun to get back at my teachers car!" not "Hmmm let me find a paintball store, drive 20 minutes and buy a $100 gun casue they have nothing cheaper" they are idiots like u said, but i dont think they would accually go to a remote place so they can purchase a marker. they know of the convience of walmart, they are everywhere... now go disagre vigoursly with me again, i dont care your not gonna change my feelings.
Okay… I will vigorously disagree with you again….

You and others here are assuming that these crimes are committed by folks who purposely go and buy cheap markers JUST to commit the crime. While I strongly disagree with that, saying that these crimes are committed by people who ALREADY own the markers and decide to do something stupid, dangerous, and completely idiotic with them. And this is the case with almost every crime committed. Most of the time crimes are committed with things people already own, not by things they buy immediately before and FOR the commission of the crime.

I will also state that by thinking folks purposely buy paintball markers for the commission of a crime is more dangerous to the sport than the idiots who are committing the crime. It leads to the thinking that the equipment is the bad thing and not the person committing the crime. And thinking that all crimes committed with paintball markers are done so with the lowest end markers on the market is simply silly.

This thread has turned into nothing more than a blame low end markers for people’s misuse of ALL markers. And this is disturbing being on such an educated paintball forum.

[shartley]

Originally posted by Aliens-8-MyDad
shartley you may think that people dont do that, but i know they do! ive seen it happen, friends ask to barrow my gun for wrong doing and i say no, so they drive up to walmart and buy a cheap one. its all about the convience, make a low end gun harder to get, and it should stop most of the acts of paintball crime
Don’t get me wrong…. I am NOT saying that what you just said does NOT happen… I am sure it does. I just don’t think it is the MAJORITY of the problem, nor the cure to the problem. And thinking it is, is dangerous.

When you start blaming the equipment and not the person, you are starting down a dangerous slope. And once you make the low end markers harder to get a hold of, you make it easier to make higher end markers harder to get a hold of. Once you demonize one level of marker, it make it easier to demonize ALL levels of markers. And once you demonize ANY level of marker, it makes it easier to BAN them. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

So, you can go ahead and continue to blame low end markers for the OWNERS actions all you want. And you can want that they be harder to get all you want. And I will sit back and remind folks how many people those low end markers brought into the sport, and what an important part they play in the paintball industry. And I will also put he blame for wrong doings on those who DO it, not the equipment.

Chances are, these idiots would find SOMETHING to do something stupid with……. and you sure have some good friends, don’t you? ;)

[Aliens-8-MyDad]

i belive the blame needs to be placed on the idiots that do it and walmart for making the Low end markers readily availible. my friends are stupid sometimes and i cant stop them, though i do not condone there actions it is not going to end my friendship with them.

[bryceeden]

I think that the best, although not cheapest, is for local paintball shops to offer a reward for info leading to the prosicution of the guilty party. Off the subject I also think that showing the public paintball in its true form does alot. I have a "float" that is a speed ball field surrounded in netting and glass that I put in local parades with people playing "paintball"(they play without paintballs, just shoot HPA and the refs call what look like they would have been hits) it seems like a stupid idea, but it has done alot for paintballs image in my area. The city counsel and mayor are even holding a city sponsored torny in the park( they have borrowed a supair field and netting). This type of thing is exactly what paintball needs, and it can be done. That way when the idiots come out they are over looked just like if it was baseball or hockey.