AO the Paintball Industry Needs Your Help With the Attack in LA

[obsolete898]

^^^^
Lays to waste with stone cold logic. Right on.

[einhander619]

what next?

Now we all know we've had to deal with some of these punk *** white-trash losers at some time in our paintball lives. Being from Idaho, I've seen more than my fair share of on-field disputes that end in the parking lot. We have to face the fact these people can and are ruining the sport for us and anybody else interested in it. The only way to prevent this kind of $#!+ is for your community to rally, and drive out this element. Field owners, start a banned list of people you know are troulemakers, and players, for God's sakes, watch your manners, the whole world is watching.

[StuDawggie]

Originally posted by ShinyGuy
it would be far better to charge these kids with agravated assault when they're caught.

Actually if you wanted to see them serve the maximum amount of time the charges that would be need to be filed are as follows: Attempted manslaughter, assult with a deadly weapon, unlawful discharge of a firearm, assult with intent to cause great bodily harm, conspiracy to assult with intent to cause great bodily harm, and vandalism. The reason I'm also saying vandalism is because I highly doubt that every shot that they fired hit this guy, and those shots that missed had to break on something (most likely the sidewalk or street) thus being grounds for the last charge. If these idiots were in Michigan and were found guilty of this, the minimum sentance would be 15-30 yrs, plus court costs, probabtion, and restitution to the guy that was hit. Like I said if the DA wants to realyl make an example of these people, that's what he needs to file for, but the people who did this will probably, have a good lawyer that can get the charges reduced to a misdemeanor, and they'll walk away with max of 90 days, court costs, probation, and community service. Yeah the legal system bites when it comes to prosucuting punks like this, but feces occurs. The worst part is if they're minors, the when they turn 21 it will come off their record, and won't have to admit on any job application that they've ever been convivted of a felony or misdemeanor charge.

[BDA]

Actually this happened about 30 seconds away from my house...In Orange County...Actually Newport Beach to be precise...

3 news channels came into my store regarding any information on paintball equipment and safety the day after it happened. i had one of my employees do all the interviews and what not as i was pretty busy.

Word around the streets here is the kids were shooting a sign and the guy skated into their line of fire, resulting in his getting shot in the eye, losing balance, and falling and hitting his head. whether this is true or not i've got no idea. i have yet to go check out the scene or anything and have had MANY people come into my store asking about rewards and what not.

Actually during the Channel 2 news interview, we had a call into the store of somebody who sounded rather worried...They inquired why the news people were there and proceeded to tell me that when he saw them he left because he "Had been sick and didn't want to be seen in that way" sounded like a bunch of BS to me...Unfortunatly i didn't *69 or anything, but i'm sure i'll recognize the voice if he comes in one day...

[Paintchucker]

simple cause and effect...

Shartley: I understand what you are saying about the helmet, but it seemed to have become the focal point. Being a rollerblader too, it is a constant source of stupidity to see other bladers without their protection on. However, I think had he been wearing his helmet, he would be and probably will be doing interviews with one eye. I simply think the blame belongs where it belongs. An unhelmeted fool may skate his whole life without finding a coma...

[sukhoi120]

Paintball's Negative Media Attention

Just my $.02 on the incident in general, and the helmet conversation. Before I begin my incredibly long post, I'd like to say how sorry I am for the victim and his family.

The Incident:
I don't know if you are familiar with the term threat construction. In this context, it would essentially mean that the media attention about the harms done by paintball guns increases the chance of illegal or unethical uses. A non-paintball player, who goes around playing 'practical jokes' or something of that nature on a regular basis, sees the media report as a display of other kids fitting that same profile using paintball guns. Sure, sometimes the results are negative, but the potential user doesn't view that.

So the more it happens, the more media reports, and kids see it as even more popular. Even though the attacks have huge negative impacts that are reported by the media, sometimes they do a local segment on neighborhood kids firing on cars. If the kids watching the segment see no permamenent negative impact, the threat construction idea still holds true.

I know I'm not writing the clearest post ever, but hang in there. Essentially, the attacks lead to media which leads to more attacks in an endless circle of TC. Therefore, the only way to stop the endless chain of negative publicity towards paintball is to cut it off at the source. How you do that remains unknown, but I just thought I'd share my insight into the underlying motives of the incidents.

The Helmet:
I agree that he should have been wearing his helmet, and you can place money on the fact that he will regret that desicion with his every sinew when he regains conciousness.

However, I do not believe that this in any way is an excuse for the perpetrators or for the paintball community to turn its back on the victim.

(To those of you have decided not to send money: I view this as a personal decision and am not attacking you in the slightest. I may not send money myself, I am only commenting on the actual helmet argument.)

Here is my problem with the helmet concept: If I went to steal money out of someone's bank account and found no money there because the person had made a bad decision and spent it all, I am still guilty of theft.

Also, I see where SHartley is coming from on the examples of car accidents and the fact that he owns a car and should not have to contribute. I understand this, but we would not be contributing out of a moral obligation to the victim. We would be contributing to show that the paintball community DOES NOT condone such attacks. It would be just one step to ending the chain of endless paintball-related incidents in hometowns around the country.

[raehl]

My concern...

Is that the donations will be viewed not as a statement that we don't condone such attacks, but as a statement that we feel responsible for such attacks. I don't like the idea that the paintball community itself feels obligated to donate money whenever paintball guns are misused as if we're somehow responsible for the misuse. We're not, and we don't want others to think we think we're responsible, because they might just agree with us and hold us responsible as well.

It's the people who pulled the triggers who are responsible. Lets find those guys, and lets donate money to finding those guys, and then make THEM pay for their actions, because they're responsible, not the rest of us.

- Chris

[sukhoi120]

That's actually the best point I've heard so far. I never considered it that way. The best and possibly the only way to show our dislike of these people is to help find them.

I still don't believe that conributions will do any harm, however.

I see logic in both ends of the contributions issue, but not when not contributing is only validated by the helmet issue. I will leave it at that since I see a new found logic thanks to raehl.

[CockersRule]

First, it happened in Newport Beach which is not really close to LA.
Second, the kids who did it are most likely rich Newport kids who had their lawyer Daddy buy them an Angel, they are a disgrace to the sport of Paintball and should be punished to the full extent of the law I have been by the site where it happend guite a few times and it's a good place for some rich newport kids to ambush someone in what they probably thought was going to be some funny joke and it wasnt. If I ever found the kids I would personally take them to the Newport Beach Police Department as I have an obligation to 'cause I work in a differant line of Enforcement, i could arrest them myself if I found them 'cause my description is Government Officer but I'd rather take them to NBPD.

[Croix71]

I take it that their haven't been any arrests or any guns confiscated as of yet?