Germany to ban paintball, laser tag

[seamusTX]

The German government has proposed a ban on paintball guns, laser tag, and "combat games" in response to a mass murder committed in March.

Included in the proposal is a requirement that weapons be stored in safes with biometric locks.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8041320.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

[KRM45]

That's silly... Is there even a link between any of these shooters and painball or laser tag?

[seamusTX]

I'm not aware of any such link.

As I have said many times, people who go on rampages are mentally ill. If guns literally did not exist, they would use vehicles or bombs. In fact, bombs kill far more victims than random shootings. They have always been the favorite weapon of terrorists.

- Jim

[PBratton]

Ok, so next in line would be 'violent' video games...

[Lodge2004]

I'm not aware of any such link.

As I have said many times, people who go on rampages are mentally ill. If guns literally did not exist, they would use vehicles or bombs. In fact, bombs kill far more victims than random shootings. They have always been the favorite weapon of terrorists.

- Jim

True, but those incidents don't count becasue one can't ban vehicles or common household products or fertilizer, etc...An interesting mindset when I lived in Germany was how people were unwilling to accept "gun violence" which is rare but generally accepted things such as riots, beatings and tossing molotov coctails. If there was a shooting, you would hear "that should not happen here...we are not America", but have a skin head vs. Turk race riot and burn down some apartments (with the residents inside) and it would be..."what are you going to do...such things happen when people are angry".

[seamusTX]

I've always found it ironic that Europeans tolerate football hooliganism and pub brawling, while decrying American "gun violence."

There is a psychological process of ascribing magical powers to firearms, sometimes called totemization. You see it here as well, on both sides of the "gun control" debate.

- Jim