Only halfway decent English version I found:
Germany aims to ban paintball after school shooting (http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/World/Story/A1Story20090507-140022.html)
QuoteBERLIN, May 7 (Reuters) - The German government wants to tighten gun laws and ban paintball games in response to a school shooting in which a total of 16 people were killed in March, coalition sources said on Thursday.
Experts from Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and her Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners had agreed to ban paintball games, in which players shoot at each other with pellets containing paint, the sources said.
The governing parties say games like paintball trivialise violence and risk lowering the threshold for committing violent acts, the sources said.
Infringements to the new rules, which the cabinet hopes to pass before a general election in September, could incur fines of up to 5,000 euros ($6,660), the sources said.
A 17-year-old shot dead 15 people in the southwestern town of Winnenden, before killing himself in March, stunning many Germans and leading politicians to call for tighter gun rules.
The teenager had shot many of his victims in the head with his father's legally registered pistol. His father, a member of a shooting club, had 15 guns at home - fourteen were locked in a gun closet as required by law but the pistol was in the bedroom, officials have said.
Germany toughened its gun laws in 2002 after 19-year-old Robert Steinhauser shot dead 16 people, mainly teachers, and himself at a high school in the eastern German city of Erfurt.
The changes raised the minimum age for gun ownership to 21 from 18 and required gun buyers under 25 to present a certificate of medical and psychological health. Gun laws already required applicants to pass rigorous exams that can take up to a year.
The new rules would also grant authorities more rights in conducting checks with people owning guns, the sources said.
Sources in the SPD said the parties were also moving towards on agreement on the creation of a nationwide weapons register and were considering setting up biometric security locks for weapons' stores.
:bleeding:
I suggest they outlaw children playing cops and robbers or cowboys and indians, too, or playing with toy soldiers. :rolleyes:
Hmmmm...the 17 year old already had the gun illegally how does raising the age from 18 to 21 and adding a bunch of tests help prevent more 17 year olds from shooting people?
Quote from: Syt on May 07, 2009, 10:50:05 AM
I suggest they outlaw children playing cops and robbers or cowboys and indians, too, or playing with toy soldiers. :rolleyes:
I am pretty sure banning all toy guns and other violent toys is coming.
Wow.
:lol:
It's news stories like these that make me glad I'm not in the German nanny state and instead in the state of xenophobe racist schnitzel friers. At least no one tells me here which movies I can watch, what games I can play or what music I can listen to. :lol:
Quote from: Syt on May 07, 2009, 10:54:31 AM
It's news stories like these that make me glad I'm not in the German nanny state and instead in the state of xenophobe racist schnitzel friers. At least no one tells me here which movies I can watch, what games I can play or what music I can listen to. :lol:
Austria really is a distinct culture from Germans.
Quote from: Syt on May 07, 2009, 10:50:05 AMI suggest they outlaw children playing cops and robbers or cowboys and indians, too, or playing with toy soldiers. :rolleyes:
I'd say they should ban all wargames, too, but those silly Germans can't handle anything that doesn't have glossy, hard-board maps and a theme related to dinosaur time-travel.
Quote from: Valmy on May 07, 2009, 10:55:42 AMAustria really is a distinct culture from Germans.
:yes: :)
I am discovering that a lot of parents are not okay with their 3 year old kids playing toy gun type games.
Seems a hopeless thing to control. How do you stop a kid from pointing a finger and going "bang!"?
Chop off his fingers.
Quote from: Malthus on May 07, 2009, 11:05:33 AM
I am discovering that a lot of parents are not okay with their 3 year old kids playing toy gun type games.
Seems a hopeless thing to control. How do you stop a kid from pointing a finger and going "bang!"?
If I had a son and he did not play guns I would not be okay with it. That would just be weird.
Quote from: Valmy on May 07, 2009, 11:11:31 AM
If I had a son and he did not play guns I would not be okay with it. That would just be weird.
:rolleyes:
Quote from: Valmy on May 07, 2009, 11:16:42 AM
What? I know you did.
That doesn't mean that it doesn't strike me as a ridiculous statement.
Quote from: garbon on May 07, 2009, 11:19:44 AM
That doesn't mean that it doesn't strike me as a ridiculous statement.
I was only spoofing the parents freaking about their kids playing guns. Obviously however my kids are will be how they are. There is only so much I can do about it.
Quote from: garbon on May 07, 2009, 11:15:34 AM
Quote from: Valmy on May 07, 2009, 11:11:31 AM
If I had a son and he did not play guns I would not be okay with it. That would just be weird.
:rolleyes:
What, afraid he'd grow up to be Garbon? :D
Quote from: Valmy on May 07, 2009, 11:11:31 AM
Quote from: Malthus on May 07, 2009, 11:05:33 AM
I am discovering that a lot of parents are not okay with their 3 year old kids playing toy gun type games.
Seems a hopeless thing to control. How do you stop a kid from pointing a finger and going "bang!"?
If I had a son and he did not play guns I would not be okay with it. That would just be weird.
well. he can play "trucks". that's a more, um, peaceful alternative.
maybe it'll evolve in "hydrogen fuel cell vehicles" at some point.
otherwise, there is always sports.
Quote from: Malthus on May 07, 2009, 11:05:33 AM
I am discovering that a lot of parents are not okay with their 3 year old kids playing toy gun type games.
Seems a hopeless thing to control. How do you stop a kid from pointing a finger and going "bang!"?
Fingers don't go bang, toddler pre-mass murderers do.
Quote from: Berkut on May 07, 2009, 11:45:24 AM
Quote from: Malthus on May 07, 2009, 11:05:33 AM
I am discovering that a lot of parents are not okay with their 3 year old kids playing toy gun type games.
Seems a hopeless thing to control. How do you stop a kid from pointing a finger and going "bang!"?
Fingers don't go bang, toddler pre-mass murderers do.
"It was what he did to his cousin's barbie dolls that should have clued us in ... :( "
Election campaigns. :bleeding: Each time you think it cannot get worse and yet it does.
We are in the middle of a Provincial election. I regret I have no such foolishness to report. Although there is still time left. The polls are close so chances are good that somebody will come out with something equally silly.
Why doesn't Germany just raise the age for illegal gun ownership?
Quote from: PDH on May 07, 2009, 01:03:29 PM
Why doesn't Germany just raise the age for illegal gun ownership?
:lmfao:
Quote from: Malthus on May 07, 2009, 11:38:01 AM
What, afraid he'd grow up to be Garbon? :D
Now, now, you can't have it both ways. It can't be that Valmy says he knows I played with guns and that he fears his child would be like me if he didn't play with guns...unless the fear is entirely unrelated to arms.
A couple weeks ago I bought Tommy his first toy gun-- a miniaturized MP5K. THANKS, DOLLAR TREE :D
He's not holding it right just yet, but he'll learn.
Quote from: derspiess on May 07, 2009, 01:29:52 PM
A couple weeks ago I bought Tommy his first toy gun
You fail as an American. :(
Maybe, I'll be able to import some cheap HK416 lookalike markers then.
What's wrong with toy guns?
I had all kind of toy guns and swords and shit.
And a massive army of toy soldiers. My grandpa's backyard looked like a damn WW1 trench system, with little trenches with green soldiers running in all directions. We also had 2 medieval castles, a apache fort, a burnt out mini-massada fortress, a vietnam style firebase hiden among my grandma's flowers, a farming kibbutz, a beduin camp, and a nuclear silo.
That was so much fun, dude.
Quote from: Siege on May 07, 2009, 02:08:58 PM
What's wrong with toy guns?
I had all kind of toy guns and swords and shit.
And a massive army of toy soldiers. My grandpa's backyard looked like a damn WW1 trench system, with little trenches with green soldiers running in all directions. We also had 2 medieval castles, a apache fort, a burnt out mini-massada fortress, a vietnam style firebase hiden among my grandma's flowers, a farming kibbutz, a beduin camp, and a nuclear silo.
That was so much fun, dude.
I'd certainly be afraid of anyone's child ending up like you.
Quote from: Siege on May 07, 2009, 02:08:58 PM
What's wrong with toy guns?
I had all kind of toy guns and swords and shit.
The German government is afraid if kids play with guns they will turn into killers. Looking at how you turned out it is obvious that is simply not true.
Quote from: Valmy on May 07, 2009, 02:10:20 PM
The German government is afraid if kids play with guns they will turn into killers. Looking at how you turned out it is obvious that is simply not true.
:lol:
Quote from: Valmy on May 07, 2009, 10:52:16 AM
Hmmmm...the 17 year old already had the gun illegally how does raising the age from 18 to 21 and adding a bunch of tests help prevent more 17 year olds from shooting people?
Don't even try to make sense of it. They're just playing to the Outrage, is all. Never mind that retroactive application of their "stricter rules" still wouldn't prevent the crime. :rolleyes:
Quote from: garbon on May 07, 2009, 02:10:50 PM
Quote from: Valmy on May 07, 2009, 02:10:20 PM
The German government is afraid if kids play with guns they will turn into killers. Looking at how you turned out it is obvious that is simply not true.
:lol:
What are you laughing about?
Valmy is right. I have never done a violent act against my fellow citizens.
I despise criminals and angry violent people.
I have zero tolerance for criminals and anti-social behavior.
I uphold the law and defend my country.
Clearly there is nothing to fear about toy guns.
I wouldn't be surprised if serial killers had a lonely infancy with no toy guns or toy soldiers.
Have anybody done a research on this?
Quote from: Siege on May 07, 2009, 02:23:41 PM
What are you laughing about?
Valmy is right. I have never done a violent act against my fellow citizens.
I despise criminals and angry violent people.
I have zero tolerance for criminals and anti-social behavior.
I uphold the law and defend my country.
Clearly there is nothing to fear about toy guns.
I wouldn't be surprised if serial killers had a lonely infancy with no toy guns or toy soldiers.
Have anybody done a research on this?
Oh I forgot, it isn't murder if the government sanctions it. :rolleyes:
Quote from: Siege on May 07, 2009, 02:23:41 PM
I wouldn't be surprised if serial killers had a lonely infancy with no toy guns or toy soldiers.
Have anybody done a research on this?
You may find this interesting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacDonald_triad
Quote from: garbon on May 07, 2009, 02:28:05 PM
Oh I forgot, it isn't murder if the government sanctions it. :rolleyes:
Literally true. :)
Quote from: saskganesh on May 07, 2009, 11:43:45 AM
Quote from: Valmy on May 07, 2009, 11:11:31 AM
Quote from: Malthus on May 07, 2009, 11:05:33 AM
I am discovering that a lot of parents are not okay with their 3 year old kids playing toy gun type games.
Seems a hopeless thing to control. How do you stop a kid from pointing a finger and going "bang!"?
If I had a son and he did not play guns I would not be okay with it. That would just be weird.
well. he can play "trucks". that's a more, um, peaceful alternative.
carmageddon...
Quote from: saskganesh on May 07, 2009, 11:43:45 AM
well. he can play "trucks". that's a more, um, peaceful alternative.
Not after he saw the demolishion derby. :D
Quote from: Malthus on May 08, 2009, 08:36:28 AM
Quote from: saskganesh on May 07, 2009, 11:43:45 AM
well. he can play "trucks". that's a more, um, peaceful alternative.
Not after he saw the demolishion derby. :D
The movie
The Road Warrior forever changed how I played with toy cars & trucks...
:ccr
I totally agree to this. Paintball is just plain violent and encourages people to be violent.
Quote from: Olive on May 12, 2009, 06:17:55 AM
I totally agree to this. Paintball is just plain violent and encourages people to be violent.
Don't be ridiculous you hardly even have physical contact with anybody in paintball.
This strikes me as pretty lame. Boys will be boys, and I'd rather they play around with paintball guns than the real thing. I fail to understand the supposed linkage between paintballers and the homicidal dorks that actually kill people.
Quote from: AnchorClanker on May 12, 2009, 12:19:25 PM
This strikes me as pretty lame. Boys will be boys, and I'd rather they play around with paintball guns than the real thing. I fail to understand the supposed linkage between paintballers and the homicidal dorks that actually kill people.
They were always the last to be chosen for a team. ;)
Quote from: AnchorClanker on May 12, 2009, 12:19:25 PM
This strikes me as pretty lame. Boys will be boys, and I'd rather they play around with paintball guns than the real thing. I fail to understand the supposed linkage between paintballers and the homicidal dorks that actually kill people.
Politicians don't often let facts get in the way of their populist stunts, Ank. ;)
It's taken over a decade and Jack Thompson's disbarment to shed the myth that video games have been responsible for school shootings in the US, and still some elements like to try to push that nonexistent linkage.
They dropped the ban on paintball and lasergames in the final draft of the law.