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cruise4
09-05-2009, 04:50 PM
Germany moves to outlaw paintball

Berlin says games like paintball encourage violence

The German government says it plans to ban combat games such as paintball, in response to a recent school shooting.

The new measures being proposed to parliament also include tighter gun control rules and give officials the right to conduct checks on gun owners.

Anyone defying the proposed new rule could face a 5,000-euro (£4,474) fine.

Sixteen people, including the gunman, were killed in the school shooting in March. Relatives of the victims say the new measures do not go far enough.

'Biometric controls'

Under the proposed rules, the authorities would be given more right to ensure weapons are safely locked up.

A woman and girl grieve in Winnenden. Photo: 12 March 2009
The massacre at Albertville School shocked Germany

It is also thought that "biometric controls" for gun storage might be introduced, the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Berlin reports.

That would mean that anyone owning and storing guns at home would need to use their own fingerprint to open the safe or cupboard, our correspondent says.

Berlin also plans to ban games like paintball and laser-tag that simulate killing on the grounds that they trivialise and encourage violence.

But relatives of those killed in the March attack in the town of Winnenden, near Stuttgart, are calling for an outright ban on pistols and high-calibre weapons.

"There cannot be a second Winnenden," Hardy Schober, whose daughter was killed in the attack, told a news conference in Berlin.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8041320.stm

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Total Garbage of course, eg. http://www.wsbtv.com/news/19365762/detail.html

However paintball shops are the new outdoor gear suppliers. They may not be around for much longer should this materialise.

cafetimes1991
09-05-2009, 04:54 PM
Hmmm, was only a matter of time I guess. Should have seen this one coming.

Sixteen people, including the gunman, were killed in the school shooting in March. Relatives of the victims say the new measures do not go far enough.

All together: Problem! Reaction! Solution!

steppewar
09-05-2009, 05:38 PM
The German government has turned into a complete bunch of wusses.

This is another piece of legislation passed because of World War 2.

Why punish the German nation of today because of events that happened 2 generations ago?

leviathanstaar
09-05-2009, 10:13 PM
This has nothing to do with being wussies.

This is about not having even remotely combat capable people.

kweli
09-05-2009, 10:28 PM
Some UK police forces use paintballing as a training tool.

decim
10-05-2009, 12:15 AM
unexpected but not surprised.