My SB798 rant

[Phoenix]

Picture yourself as a cop. It's dark outside and you been called to a school for a noise disturbance. As you search the halls you find someone dressed in dark clothes holding what appears to be an M16 assault rifle. Without thinking you have your gun drawn and are instructingThe person to drop the weapon. When they turn towards you, weapon still in hand you do EXACTLY what you have been trained to do: you shoot the subject and take control of the scene. No problem from anyone so far, right? Ok as the crime scene is secured and the investigation begins it's discovered the "weapon" was an airsoft gun. The parents try to sue but it's all righteous, the subject, discovered to be a 14 year old boy, presented what any reasonable person would believe was a real fire arm. Fast forward to "tomorrow". Gov. Jerry Brown passes into law a bill requiring all airsoft guns to be bright colors, something to ensure no other kids will be killed. The next day your called to a report if individuals in a strip mall carrying automatic weapons. As you roll up you see the weapons are brightly colored. You step from your patrol car and before you can tell these "kids" to leave you're hosed down by automatic gunfire. At your funeral your widow decries the senseless death of her husband, a death caused by enacting a law that would cloud the judgment of an officer, having him question his training and letting criminals gain an upper hand. Sure it's a what off scenario but if you google "pink ar-15" you will be taken to a website for Jim's Duracoat, where you can have your gun sent to him and be painted whatever color you need, including "pink". It already exists, a way to make your gun look like a real toy. 
The best way to prevent kids from being killed is to A) block the lawsuits by dead kids' parents if their child had an airsoft gun in a public place and failed to listen to the commands of a police officer. B) and I hate this cause I know some good people in this category who this shouldn't apply to but make it illegal for minors to possess these items. Not just play with but POSSESS. finally toughen the punishments for improper use and unlawful possession and limit the places where they can be used including law enforcement notification of use on unrestricted public lands. Please the constituents that have brains not just the ones who feel entitled to impose their will onto others.

[Phoenix]

You are only allowed in the state of California to do so with the written permission of, or while in the presence of an parent/guardian. Try going hunting alone and see what happens. The fact remains people under a certain age (which age is arguable, but most agree that 18 for most things and 21 for the rest), on average, fail to be as responsible as society requires them to be.  Michael, I respect your stance, but your argument is weak at best simply because you cannot argue that a law setting an age restriction is "extreme" just because you are capable of acting at the appropriate age, younger. I could drink as well as any 21 year old when I was 20, but i was still banned by law. Heck at 16 I was a better driver than most 20+ year olds. Just because you are more mature than your average teen, does not mean a law is unjust. We legislate the average, not the exceptional. If we legislated the exceptional, you would either not be allowed to ever fail at something, or be permanently banned from something just because the assumption that no one is safe doing it.

Diamond Corps has some exceptional minors that are on the team or regular attend events. Banning them would be unfair, I admit, but what of the kids who did stupid stuff on this page: Fact Sheet About Toy Guns? Because often the exceptional goes unseen, we see the rest of the spectrum and develop the average that way. Even when we account for the exceptional, the real average is often less than so and society agrees to bar them from an activity. Sure it may not be fair to the exceptional, but would you rather allow everyone to continue as normal and have more negative results?

I once heard the phrase:In America you can join the military at 18 and shoot and kill people, but you're not allowed to have a beer til your 21. While there are deeper reasons for the age 18 enlistment, it does underscore the fact that your average boot camp graduate (and successful soldier) will have been trained and conditioned to be above the average for his/her age and therefor can be trusted to act accordingly.

 

I'm long winded so I'm gonna stop here before its too long to bother reading.

Michael Victorino said:

Ok so a few kids have bad parents or a reckless so no kids should play?  I can hunt and kill animals but i cant have an airgun that shoots plastic bbs?  Am i the only one who sees who fucked up that is?

[Derek Ewen]

I do agree.... Teens can be stupid sometimes. I am one and I dont always think through what Im going to do, but it is annoying when one person ruins something for everyone... Still, glad 798 didnt pass.

[Spidedd]

I enjoy reading these.ha. I completely agree with what you said though. Very well put

Phoenix said:

 

I'm long winded so I'm gonna stop here before its too long to bother reading.

[Phoenix]

oh so you agree that I'm long winded? thanks bud lol. J/K.

 

I am grateful that 798 didn't pass, while its not one person per se ruining it, it was a vast minority of situations that put airsoft in jeopardy.

[Michael Victorino]

The "exceptional" are the only ones affected.  Just because theres a law against something doesnt mean its going to be followed.  You cant buy an airsoft gun if your under 18 but we have them anyway.  If they did say you cant posess an airsoft gun under 18 thats not going to stop anyone but the responsible kids who respect the law.  Its just like all the gun bans, just because your not supposed to exceed a 10 round magazine doesnt mean people dont have any 20 or 30 round magazines.  On that fact sheet everyone reads over the 39, 49, 27 32, 55, 19, 18 , another 39, and a 37 year old.  All they see are the kids.  So you cant really go by age, and as far as the 10 year olds, thats just bad parenting.

[Bluewolf]

There are a LOT of people who should not own guns but just try and talk to a few people who live in the State of Alabama or Kentucky for that matter.  Heck, there are a lot of adults who should not be having children.

All teens on the field that I have had the pleasure of playing with have displayed themselves with honor and maturity.  I have, however, seen adults my peer behave less so.

But I have to agree with Sean on many his points. 

I might suggest that a registration of our firearms might be prudent.  For one, our sport is dictated that a airsoft gun must be purchased by an adult.  Nothing would be said that said airsoft gun could not be "gifted" to their child, but rather it holds the adult "RESPONSIBLE" for their child's actions.  More strict laws against improper use of airsoft guns (fines, prison) would constitue more responsibility on the adult.  Two, registration would involve money, money that could be spent helping the small (ahem) deficit that this horribly run state seems to ignore each year.

I might also further suggest that discharging airsoft rifles in citys (not counties) would prevent officers from "happenstancing" on young hooligans playing COD in the streets.

Michael Victorino said:

Im just saying kids shouldnt be discriminated against cause were more "immature".  Theres alot of adults who shouldnt have guns airsoft or real.  Those few incidents shouldnt kick all minors out of airsoft.

 

[Phoenix]

Bluewolf, I like your ideas best. They work better. You thought of stuff I should have, and didn't. If I run for president in 15 years, you can be my VP, K?

@Michael: Your point is? How are only the "exceptional" affected? Are not the normal and deficient (exceptional on the negative side oft he spectrum) affected also? What you mean is that only the exceptional feel the effects strongly. Further more your argument that honest people follow the rules and that dishonest people still break them simply states the obvious and does nothing for your argument. Honest people don't kill people, they don't rape women and they don't steal cars. Another appropriate saying goes "locks are made for honest people". So do you leave your house or car unlocked? I mean what's the point, people are going to get inside anyway? You see what I'm saying?

My statement regarding the age restriction was to take away the biggest offenders of most irresponsible behavior: teenagers. Look at your fellow classmates, you think the majority would choose responsibly in a given situation? Now look at the majority of adults in your life, would they choose responsibly? Look at the answer and you see why I proposed the restriction. I even said I regretted saying it because the exceptional people I know who would be affected. But when you are facing an idoitic knee-jerk reaction you need to offer rational thought and negotiate down as far as you can. Parenting may be a huge factor in this but so is irresponsible behavior and choices because some of those kids may have been taught how to treat a real gun but chose poorly with a toy. Even when lazier tag came out people were this dumb and supposedly parents were better then.

You seem smart, but thick headed and wanting to fight the authority. Don't give up on that zeal, but recognize when your argument is valid and when it's not, choose your battles and never ignore the law while fighting to change it.

Michael Victorino said:

The "exceptional" are the only ones affected.  Just because theres a law against something doesnt mean its going to be followed.  You cant buy an airsoft gun if your under 18 but we have them anyway.  If they did say you cant posess an airsoft gun under 18 thats not going to stop anyone but the responsible kids who respect the law.  Its just like all the gun bans, just because your not supposed to exceed a 10 round magazine doesnt mean people dont have any 20 or 30 round magazines.  On that fact sheet everyone reads over the 39, 49, 27 32, 55, 19, 18 , another 39, and a 37 year old.  All they see are the kids.  So you cant really go by age, and as far as the 10 year olds, thats just bad parenting.

[Bluewolf]

VP gets all the respect!  Just ask Dan Quayle!

  "What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is."

 

What I meant to include was to make it illegal to discharge a BB gun within City limits.

 

[Ziggy]

I found out he mad it worse for his revision. We would have to paint our black guns or be "breaking the law". Bull, What about the grandfathered weapons rule? I bought my gun way before this came about so why should we have to paint it after? Anyways thats my slight anger issue. Probably wont pass this way either but we gotta keep fighting. I was calling in to there office so hopfully you all were too.

[Bluewolf]

I would have been there too but my prior illness made it mandatory that I be at work. (IE, I missed too much work)

I don't believe this will go away as many politicians will look to this as their "mark" to their political career.

Laws need to be put in place so as to protect our hobby.  People are stupid and thus proceeds a "means" for the "tie and suit" to provides the avenue to protect us!

I firmly believe that if they see a way to make money, that is, to have us pay a fee to keep our rights, that is the paving ground to these political "pole dancers".

If we introduce a means to build revenue to the state, we should be better protected.

 

Registration, Legislation, and Fees to those who brake the law.

 

Once this is in place the only fear we have is gun-hating-liberals...and so far they are very limited.

[Michael Victorino]

Alright i know when im beat, but think about this.  They will try to ban airsoft altogether, if we give them this big of a leap it will be sooner rather than later. Well done sir i hope to see you on the 9th.

[Phoenix]

guns eventually die or we want something new.

Ziggy said:

I found out he mad it worse for his revision. We would have to paint our black guns or be "breaking the law". Bull, What about the grandfathered weapons rule? I bought my gun way before this came about so why should we have to paint it after? Anyways thats my slight anger issue. Probably wont pass this way either but we gotta keep fighting. I was calling in to there office so hopfully you all were too.