Ask Questions First, Then Shoot (8/20/03)
by Dean Hartwell
Recently, my wife and I bid successfully at a silent auction. We received thirty free passes to a paintball place.
We thought about holding a “paintball party” for my upcoming thirty-fifth birthday. But before we organized that, a friend and I visited the place to see what it was like.
We drove several miles to the middle of nowhere to the address listed on the tickets. On the side of the road, a sign read “Gun Show.” It proved to be a sign of things to come.
Upon our entrance, we saw the first of many kids dressed up in army fatigues, masks and, of course, paintball guns. The apparent age range of these kids must have been around 10 to 20 years old. They looked at us without much interest and continued to chat amongst themselves.
A “referee” approached us and directed us to the entrance booth. We walked around the gobs of paint balls and got the attention of a woman who appeared to be in charge.
“How do we get started?” I inquired.
“First, you have to sign a release. Then bring it back to me.”
My friend and I read the release closely. As a law student, I got excited over the possibility of finding a loophole or two.
But I didn’t find any loopholes. I instead read the first line of the release, which warned me that there was a “possibility” of “substantial injury” or death. I looked over at my friend and we both dropped the releases on the table like hot potatoes.
I turned to a young man dressed in military attire and asked him what he thought about paint ball. He replied, curtly, “It’s fun.”
I had heard enough. I realized that the paintball experience did not appeal to me. Instead of feeling enthusiasm, I felt isolated. Save for my friend, there was not a single person in the park anywhere close to my age. It dawned on us that the organizers of paint ball appealed to a younger, more impressionable crowd.
As we walked away, questions came to my mind: What better way to make shooting other people appear acceptable to young men and women than by making a game out of it? What better way to convince young people that going to war means getting an adrenaline rush? And, what better way for the military and the militia groups to recruit the next generation of “weekend warriors” than by enticing them to play a “game” of paintball?
Our society appears to have no shortage of places where adults can fire weapons. Witness the large number of gun ranges. Now kids are getting into the act with weapons that have the potential to accomplish what guns are designed to do – to hurt and even kill others.
What we need more of are places where people can go and practice negotiating with others. That would be the best way to inspire the next generation of leaders.