Germany Is Banning Paintball And Laser Tag
Apparently because the perpetrator of a school shooting in the country was a fan of both recreational activities.
The German government is planning to ban paintball and laser shooting games in reaction to the recent school massacre in which 15 people died.
Under legislation agreed by the ruling coalition of the chancellor, Angela Merkel, using air rifles to shoot paint-filled pellets at opponents is likely to be made illegal, and would be punishable with fines of up to €5,000 (£4,480).
The decision, which is expected to be fast-tracked through the Bundestag before the summer recess, comes two months after 17-year-old Tim Kretschmar shot dead 15 people at his former school in Winnenden, south-west Germany, with a weapon he had taken from his father’s bedroom. Kretschmar’s love of paintball as well as violent video and computer games was widely publicised.
This is your typical “correlation does not suggest causation” mistake. Just because a kid likes paintball does mean he/she is more likely to go on a shooting rampage. The same goes for guns. The mere presence of firearms does not lend itself to more crimes being committed.
Guns do not motivate people to commit crimes. Paintball and/or laser tag does not motivate people to commit crimes. Those motivations come from elsewhere, be it economics or some sort of mental disorder.
Of course, those motivations are difficult to discern and address. And our politicians, who feel the need to incessantly justify their existence by leaping into action and doing something in the face of any calamity or tragedy, find it a lot easier to enact bans on things than to develop policy that actually addresses why crimes might be happening.
Or, at least, enact laws that would allow the citizenry to better protect themselves from criminals.
I know it’s a alarmist point of view. But, when you see that you kid doesn’t realize that it’s all pretend, then maybe a its a parent’s responsibility to take that stuff away and immediately get some psychological help.
Liberals are bad for the economy and the safety of the U.S. Therefore i am banning them.
Maybe the Germans need some of the drunk Chinese hookers we have to loosen up a bit…there, I just saved us $2.6 million!
good, they now need to get rid of video games and music…… there goes david hasslehofffs career.
Of course they are banning these!
You couldn’t find a bigger bunch of rationalizing, ingrained, indoctrinated, cowardly, public.
I know! I lived there for 10 years (as a civilian, my wife is German), and moved back to the U.S. when my son reached middle-school age. The government (mainly the Green Party), through the school systems, goes of its way to instill a deep seated pacifism in the children.
I was constantly appearing before the school director for “aggressive actions” committed by my son. Children are discouraged from protecting themselves, and urged to ignore any aggressions acted out upon them…… You can imagine how that went………
My son was asked to stay home from school, for having been allowed to handle a firearm at the gun club. 8 years old and learning what a boy needs to know, he couldn’t understand the dressing down his teacher was giving him for having handled a firearm……….
It’s easier to control sheep than wolves…… That’s why the foreigners rule the major cities.
In general, the current German populace would rather not appear aggressive, and would rather capitulate their rights then have to fight for anything……. because only barbarians would do that……
They used to teach shooting in schools.
Back in the day, I recall seeing ROTC kids, in uniform, practicing drill with M-14’s in the back part of the football field, not far from where the ROTC had their own area. This included a small range.
I suppose even the thought of such a thing would cause Leftard’s heads to explode these days.
Don’t recall there every being a problem with mass public shootings back then. It wasn’t heard of. Then again, we had the pledge of allegiance and school prayer, to go along with the guns.
Now we have no religion or guns, but kids lining up at the nurses’ office for the Prozac and Ritalin, role-playing where Timmie Has Two Daddies, and — oh yes — all those pesky Mass Public Shootings.
Thanks NEA/AFT — you’re doing a great job to fuck up generations of American kids’ minds.
I know it’s a alarmist point of view. But, when you see that your kid doesn’t realize that it’s all pretend, then maybe a its a parent’s responsibility to take that stuff away and immediately get some psychological help.
The big question is …. can they still buy bottle rockets?
I bet all the kids he shot wished they had and knew how to use guns…
We should really teach these things in school.
I’m not worried what the Germans are doing for self-flagellation. I’m more worried about this nonsense happening here.