anti-paintball letter in local newspaper

[giblit]

i heard a rumor at my next tourametn (pine ridge paintball) is going to video taped and have the results put on the news, i think that would be tite when my team wins it and they see us caring our brand new impulses that we won, will be good for the sport

[Mild 7]

Paintball images

I haven't posted anything in a while so I just want to drop a few lines of my opinion regarding this issue.

This lady's article just shows that she's on the opposing side of the sport, which there is a handful out there. Just like everything else in this country, some are for it, some are against it, and some choose to stay silent about it.

I think it all comes down to "political correctness", which is not something I am good at, or care much about, at least in terms of the sports I choose. Why does everything have to be political correct these days? Does everything we do, including what we do during our off times have to be agreeable by everyone?

This woman's concern isn't really about men or boys with camos and the paintball guns. She's obviously offended by the nature of the game itself. You can take away the camo, but the concept of the game is to eliminate the other team by using a gun that shoots paint. Let's say we shoot laser instead, would that change the matter much? No. Because we're still using a gun and the nature of the game remains the same and there will still be people that's going to whine about it.

However, I'm not worried. Despite of the negative images media portrays our sport, paintball is here to stay. Violence may be bad, but it sells. Look at all the violent movies out there that are making tons of money. Is it stopping anyone from watching them? There's also many people out there speaking against porn, do we see any less porn than before? I don't think it's going to be that simple for our sport to be taken away by a few concern moms & pops words. They might have had their chance a decade ago. Paintball is not only an international sport now, but also an international business, backed by million dollars corporations. And there are people like you and me who will continue to support what we love. We will prevail.

[FatMan]

Frow Webster's online:

Violence (Page: 1611)

Vi"o*lence (?), n. [F., fr. L. violentia. See Violent.]

1. The quality or state of being violent; highly excited action, whether physical or moral; vehemence; impetuosity; force.

2. Injury done to that which is entitled to respect, reverence, or observance; profanation; infringement; unjust force; outrage; assault.

3. Ravishment; rape; constupration. To do violence on, to attack; to murder. Syn. -- Vehemence; outrage; fierceness; eagerness; violation; infraction; infringement; transgression;
oppression.

Violence (Page: 1611)

Vi"o*lence, v. t. To assault; to injure; also, to bring by violence; to compel. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

---------------------------------

So the questions is: does this describe our sport? Based on USAGE I would tend to think the operative definition here is "to assault, to injure". Checked the defn of assault:

1. A violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc.; an onslaught; the rush or charge of an attacking force; onset; as, to make assault
upon a man, a house, or a town.

Hmmm, circular logic. So, *I* tend to use a working definition of violence as "using physical force with the intent of imposing one's will upon another." I don't think paintball fits THIS definition. I mean, yes hitting you with a paintball is physical force of some kind, and yes I'm imposing my will (get off my field!) but the truth is, we have all agreed to a little system whereby if I tag you with a little smudge of paint, you agree that you are out. That just isn't violence.

Of course, a photograph of a bunch of guys wearing cammo and holding guns LOOKS a lot like people about to do violence - but that doesn't mean they will - it doesn't even mean they are encouraged to.

Look, our sport has a negative image because we shoot at each other. Plain and simple. Some people will NEVER understand that we are not doing violence to each other - we are not injuring each other, we are not physically attacking each other, we are not imposing our will on one another - we are playing a game, a physical, mental game that involves running. hiding and attempting to tag our opponents. We can't help those people. We CAN do something about the vast majority of folks who have open minds.

These are the people we need to reach. It is so easy for them to be swayed one way or the other. It is up to US to start putting paintball's best foot forward.

Over the years I've grown very interested in material about the pros and cons of paintball. I've read many good articles. I have never seen a good repository of this information - maybe because much of it is copyrighted. I think we, the AO crowd, should start an effort to provide a place for people to learn the facts AND the opinions of paintball - a place to send those who are questioning - a place to direct those who oppose the sport.

What do you think?

Play safe and have fun,

FatMan

[Gup44]

This lady obviously doesn't know American History, and has no idea what our country does every day to stay free.

Our Freedoms are paid for in blood. Life itself, by it's very nature is violent. The world is violent. THere is no way to escape it. Most people suffer some sort of violence every day (especially those of us up here in MN in the winter!!). Violence itself isn't evil. There are alot of times where it is justified and right. There are evil people that do violence in evil ways.

Every time a cow or chicken or fish is killed to be eaten, it suffers violence. But that violence is not evil. It's called living. It is how it works. People have it in their head these days that violence is evil.. it's not true.

Now, with all of that being said, I don't beleive paintball is violent. I think it is fun and recreational. It can be very agressive and intense, but it's not violent. Paintball is not war, nor is it a metaphor for war. It is FUN... it is physical. It promotes a "team" mentality and fair play.

All that sounds really nice, philisophically. But in reality, we have a very liberal media who likes to sensationalize and take things out of context and proportion. The will take a GAME like a scenario game and call it a war simulation. Maybe it is for some playing.

I would have to agree with Muzikman, for the sake of paintball and it's image to our socialist media (who by the way shapes alot of weak minded people's opinions), paintball needs to steer away from cammo and war terms. We need to promote paintball as a sport, and a pastime. Like it or not, if you want paintball to be accepted by the mainstream, you have to be careful about the terms you use to describe it. For us, who play, a kill=an elimination. For most of the people out there who live in a protected, imaginary, utopian society, you have to distinguish between the two. You can't say, I "Shot" that guy, you have to say "eliminated" or "marked".

Our course, you don't have to do anything. If you feel that you know what your doing is not wrong (which it's not) and you are comfortable using whatever terms you want and don't care about paintball's "image". Then use whatever terms you want.

Just my 2 cents worth...

[soilent green]

just another jurk that wants every thing their way and makes accusatory remarks without truly understanding some thing I have never been to a game where the "bad guys" run around dressed like a musslum

[Webmaster]

some very good points. enough that i dont need to chime it...

I would like to use a string of words to discribe that person - but we have rules here - although I suppose "whiny" and "liberal" are two of them.

[Hysperion]

originally posted by Vegeta: "and also make big purchases, like a 100$ gun"

don't we all wish

[Ariestsheft]

Re: anti-paintball letter in local newspaper

Originally posted by Trunnion

When I was growing up in the '50s and '60s, boys playing war games were still making targets out of Japs and Germans.

Is it just me or has she got her morals backwards? Saying she doesnt beleave in violence yet using such inflamatory terms as "Japs". She needs to rethink her value system before she writes something like this.

[Vegeta]

I crossed the line becuase it needs to be crossed. Someone needs to rectify it.

Zvanut, you said fencing is accepted. Ye, it is.. and is a great sport in my book. People accept it not so much becuase the safter precuations taken, but how many people KILL PEOPLE WITH SWORDS NOWDAYS? See where I'm going? People kill people with guns. Paintball uses "markers", which shoot projectiles, and people always refer to them as guns. People don't kill poeple with swords, they kill them with guns. And paintball is almost directly related with shooting/guns. I'm sorry people, but its true. If you want to sell your "marker" do you go up to someone and say "Hey wanna buy my marker?" WTF is that? Prim-o-mark? No. THey say "Hey wanna buy my gun?"

Boxing is accepted mainly becuase it is OLD, unlike paintball. Take it this way, if Baseball was six years old, Paintball would be one year old. A six year old is a lot more MATURE than a one year old That is hte key. Our sport has to MATURE. It has to grow and become bigger, wider, more active. It needs to gain some -media- weight. And POSITIVE WEIGHT, not Negative. To put this to real life terms, theres the good weight and bad weight. Good weight is when you are 5'8", and have a 34 inch waist, and weight 160. BAD weight is when you are 5'4", and have a 45 inch waist, step on the scale and weight 300. We can gain good media and public weight, or bad. Good and bad weight is what separates Baggy pants from Baggy a--. No one wants a Baggy a--. We can either get good media and public attention or bad.

IF we stress to the public that paintball is not about killing, not about guns, and not about war... and strees that it IS about fun, respect, responsibility, and such.. people WILL open their eyes. If only some of those people could just sit and watch ONE day of paintball. Better yet play it. Now YOU need to ask yourself, "If someone who has never seen a day of play before, what would they see?"

They SHOULD see:
-Friendships
-Responisiblity
-Good Sportsmanship
-Fun activities
-Teamwork

They SHOULDN'T see:
-Foul mouths
-Disrespect for other people's equipment
-Someone throwing their marker on the ground
-Un-sportsman like conduct
-Rude behavior

The media FEEDS off of things that aren't supposed to be. They nit-pick over EVERYTHING.. they dig up scandals on anyone they want... Becuase thsoe things happen. Well.. if we don't give hte media anything TO dig up or uncover or report, then what CAN they say except the good things about paintball.

For me, paintball has taght me Respect, Team work, Responsibility, amoung other things. I respect my fellow team mates and I have responsibility for my actions and my possesions. I learned teamwork from playing with others and USING MY HEAD. I also learn a ton about mechanical physics, from being here and in deep blue.

Well I'll leave it there for now... now go and contradict me.

[InfinatyBPS]

Originally posted by awg9tech

I am not a newb I have been playing for a while now and know pretty much, every aspect of the game. But I still call my cocker or raptor a "gun" just because it is easier to say, but if I am trying to make a point about how safe and non-violent paintball is I used "marked", "tagged" and other words like that. But when I'm just talking with my team and stuff I say I shot that guy or check out that guy's gun or my gun isn't working just because, I dont feel like saying my marker isn't working, or I elliminated that person. Most other people just say it because they are lazy like me.

[oldsoldier]

I mostly agree with what everyone here has said...both good and bad. Here is an idea; perhaps we, as players can get the media directly involved. Write your local newspaper and have then attend a day at the field. Have them write an article on our "extreme" sport. Ask to see the final copy before it goes to print. Offer your knowledge free of charge. Get it into your local paper, maybe iwth a pic or 2. This way, we can reach our local populace in a popular light. Hopefully, from there, it can only grow.
Oh yeah, if you do get it published, put it here for us all to read!

[Trunnion]

a staff writer from this paper has already attended and played paintball at a field about a half hour away. she loved it. it was in response to this article that this letter was written. i can probably arrange to have a reporter from another paper attend a day as well, and i plan on trying this. i will mostly likely write a response to the editor as well

[raehl]

Well..

Someone who is local should write a letter to the editor inviting this woman out to play.

- Chris