Germany bans Paintball

[Maghog]

The German Government passed legislation today banning the playing of paintball and laser tag in the country, citing the sports as "glorifying violence, and simulating murder." The law has not been written, and there is a large amount of resistance building up against it, but I fear it's going to be pulled through this time.
They've contemplated this after every school shooting, and the most recent one near Stuttgart looks like it finally did it. Most every killer in this country had played one of these sports at least once, and another motivating source, according to the politicians, is the playing of violent video games.
It will be interesting to see how far this goes, whether or not possession of equipment will be outlawed as well. and even to see how far they will push the sentences.
I'll let you guys know when I know more, but for now, be aware! Don't plan on playing over here anytime soon!
Dan@Triggernomics

[xero28]

Bummer. I just hate it when the few ruin it for the all.

So I guess you won't be needing any of those shiny guns anymore. I have a nice garage where they could be kept safe.

[bunny5]

Yikes, hopefully you still be able to keep all your parts since they don't have the electronics or valves.

[Flycatchr]

i dont get the stupidity of governments sometimes.
if they ban paintball as a sport, then they need to ban pc games, might as well ban the pc, and while we are at it, ipods should also be banned cause they play music from slipknot. why stop there, alchohol should also be banned cbecause it changes your behaviour.

"GUNS dont kill people, people kill people."

[rx2]

Germany's government has been going a little bit off of the deep-end for a while. I just find it ironic that, by trying to distance themselves from their past, they are employing many of the same authoritarian, and quasi-fascist methods that were so much a part of it.

[Smoothice]

Man that is crazy.

I hope it doesn't go through. Keep us posted.

And to think I just shipped a marker to Germany last week...

[Maghog]

They will be looking at looking at banning the video games as well, so they're trying sweep out everything that corrupts our minds.

[Smoothice]

They will be looking at looking at banning the video games as well, so they're trying sweep out everything that corrupts our minds.

Does hating your government corrupt ones mind? Wonder how they will fix that.

[warbeak2099]

[Konigballer]

Because of the country's past, the German government seems to be afraid of it's own people I swear.

It's like they think that if they don't ban EVERYTHING remotely violent, military, or combat oriented, then the German people will suddenly take up arms and start marching across europe again. As if they think it was almost in their genes to do so, dumb..

[longi]

Because of the country's past, the German government seems to be afraid of it's own people I swear.

It's like they think that if they don't ban EVERYTHING remotely violent, military, or combat oriented, then the German people will suddenly take up arms and start marching across europe again. As if they think it was almost in their genes to do so, dumb..

I do belive your right. In recent years there has been a growing resurgence in Neo Nazism ideologies. I think the government there is very very worried about it.

[Maghog]

Because of the country's past, the German government seems to be afraid of it's own people I swear.

It's like they think that if they don't ban EVERYTHING remotely violent, military, or combat oriented, then the German people will suddenly take up arms and start marching across europe again. As if they think it was almost in their genes to do so, dumb..

This is very eloquently put, and very true. In many ways, the residue of the second world war is still shaping the politics that they conduct in the present day.

Let's face it, they tried it twice, and it cost the lives of millions upon millions of people, and they don't really like to be reminded of it. When they look over to the United States and watch us set up scenario's in paintball revolving around D-day and other WWII events, then they want nothing to do with it.

For me, making such past military movements into paintball games is very disrespectful to the people who fell in battle all those years ago. It is also not what the game of paintball is about. There are other ways of celebrating those occasions.

It would be good if we could all look at what is happening over here in Germnay and reassess the way that we approach paintball as a whole. Just think about what kind of image we are creating for ourselves. There are enough people against paintball in America as well, and there have been plenty of efforts to stop it.

Let's not kid ourselves, it's not just Germany, it's everyone who doesn't understand that there is no other way to get such an adrenaline rush as the one that paintball provides. Don't be so naive to think this can't happen in America as well. Germany is just the start of a possible bitter end for what we love to do.

[BigEvil]

Ive been to several countries in Europe. The mindset there is much different on this matter than it is here. There are many places that the war still impacts. Visit Belgium one day. Many do not speak about it in the past tense.

[SCpoloRicker]

While this is indeed rediculous, I have to agree with the sentiment that the WWII themed scenarios never really struck me as appropriate. Civil War re-enactors also creep me out.

But yeah, zee Germans... strange folks. The only good thing about the rising Neo-Nazi movement is the anti-Neos who beat the heck out of them all the time.

/You do know who else banned things?
//had to happen eventually

[rx2]

/You do know who else banned things?
//had to happen eventually

That is the basis for my point about the irony. My mother, and her family, lived in Germany during the war, and saw a lot of freedoms taken away leading up to it. They moved far away from the city to avoid it.

There is a lot of paranoia, and guilt, by proxy, that still exists there. They are, essentially, going to extremes in order to avoid going to extremes. It reminds me of the old quote "the beatings will continue until morale improves." Hopefully for them, this doesn't end up the same way it did last time around. I don't believe it will, but, they are setting themselves up for the type of unrest that breeds that sort of thing.

Of course, it isn't specific to Germany. Other countries with strict regulations have done fine, thus far. Each country is a unique case, and what works in one place, won't necessarily work in another.