One of the reasons Airsoft is getting a bad image

[ClownBaby]

As a group we could also contact the chain stores about implementing a "safety chat" with the customer, and then the customer would sign something at the point of sale. Some places have to do that when your buying or renting large power tools. You have to do it at the pharmacy. Shit, you even have to do it to rent a fuckin wet-vac from Freddys!

[The Grand Baboon]

No idea what you're getting at there...

Oh, you know...wearing rank, tabs, flashes, pins, unit patches, and berets that they've never earned. It's an insult, and an affront to anyone who's put in the time to earn such things. It's why you find so much hatred for airsoft on military Facebook pages, forums, and websites.

[Matt]

No idea what you're getting at there...

Oh, you know...wearing rank, tabs, flashes, pins, unit patches, and berets that they've never earned. It's an insult, and an affront to anyone who's put in the time to earn such things. It's why you find so much hatred for airsoft on military Facebook pages, forums, and websites.

In some cases, I think this is a terrible thing. When somebody openly claims to have been prior military, but they aren't. Or a lot of people lie about what they did in the military, bragging about things they never did - that sucks.

But when foreigners and teenagers/geeks in the US emulate the military, it's flattery. Especially when they aren't trying to claim they were there and they actually did that, they're simply glorifying the real thing. And if they want to emulate the ranks of the military as a way to promote being an organized and concise unit, more power to em! It's funny because if nobody gave a shit enough to "pretend," then it wouldn't be glorified in the first place. Would they rather nobody gave a shit? Does it really matter if some random group of nerds think their job in the military is cool enough to emulate it?

[pathfinder]

Does it really matter if some random group of nerds think their job in the military is cool enough to emulate it?

FINALLY after 9 or so years Matt finally tells us all how he feels.

he has always thought of us all as a bunch of nerds.

[ClownBaby]

Airsoft IS cosplay, and airsoft IS larping! Don't EVER kidd yourselves. Baboon, those geeks are sweating your jock! relax.....

I would really like some opinions on the ideas I brought up, especially the list. Come on Matt, Morgan, McNair, Rick, Tim somebody.

[Reeko]

Everyone saying "educate them" and no one mentioning that as a generality, the ones getting in this trouble aren't part of these "communities". They're normally just derps whom bought the guns and maybe gear and are out having some fun without thinking.

You can't educate someone if you have no way to connect with them.

Which is why we need a prison for the criminally dumb.

you mean prison?

[Matt]

I would really like some opinions on the ideas I brought up, especially the list. Come on Matt, Morgan, McNair, Rick, Tim somebody.

Promoters are more than welcomed to create black lists if they want. We don't do them here because they cause too much drama and micro management. It's not the players who were blacklisted that are the problem, it's the entitled douche bags who try and get people on the list who piss me off. They get all mad and bent out of shape when you don't agree with them, going to great lengths to fabricate conspiracy theories. I'm not a criminal investigator, I'm just a dude who runs a website.

Folks should be innocent until proven guilty, but every incident here in the past turned into a big witch hunt. Your mileage may vary, my advice to you is manage the list yourself without some kind of committee. If the business is holding the list, they reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. Promoters can share lists if they want.

I agree with Steve 100%. Airsoft should be regulated like real guns. When I got involved in this hobby, it was rare that an AEG ever shipped with an orange marking. You had to import your gear from overseas and pay $400 or more. The problem right now is that there's absolutely no accountability for purchasing Airsoft replicas, and they can be had for cheap just about anywhere. We don't know who's hands they end up in. Only recently did municipalities actually get smart and start fining people for brandishing Airsoft in public. IMO, they should all do that.

But we cannot fix this with PR. You are fighting an up-hill battle because you're trying to explain to the mainstream media that you want to glorify shooting people as a sport. Paintball went down this road. That's why they call them "markers," not guns. That's why they wear bright jerseys, instead of like military personnel. You do everything you can to make it less like war so that society will accept it.

But that's not us. We're about simulation. We're all about honoring our military. We're about history and reenactment. We're about getting the absolute most realistic combat experience we can without having to suffer actual bullet wounds. We're not athletes, this is not a sport. If Airsoft were mainstream, you would lose everything about it that makes it great.

[Hawkeye [F.O.A.D.]]

But we cannot fix this with PR. You are fighting an up-hill battle because you're trying to explain to the mainstream media that you want to glorify shooting people as a sport. Paintball went down this road. That's why they call them "markers," not guns. That's why they wear bright jerseys, instead of like military personnel. You do everything you can to make it less like war so that society will accept it.

But that's not us. We're about simulation. We're all about honoring our military. We're about history and reenactment. We're about getting the absolute most realistic combat experience we can without having to suffer actual bullet wounds. We're not athletes, this is not a sport. If Airsoft were mainstream, you would lose everything about it that makes it great.

Yet groups like the civil war, revolutionary war re-enactors have accomplished this

[ClownBaby]

Ooh, can we have a game with those guys? One where we take the DeLorean back, and break our boot off in some musket-baller a$$?

Thanks Matt. Anyone else?

[Junto]

They're not members of AP. AP is not a policing body. Cops already dealt with them. No sudden legislation to ban airsoft because of two dickheads.

Not our job to figure out a "solution". Not our problem what the uneducated public does.

I've seen this exact thread a dozen times for the same type of news stories. It has yet to rock the airsoft world.

[OcelotM16A4]

They're not members of AP. AP is not a policing body. Cops already dealt with them. No sudden legislation to ban airsoft because of two dickheads.

Not our job to figure out a "solution". Not our problem what the uneducated public does.

I've seen this exact thread a dozen times for the same type of news stories. It has yet to rock the airsoft world.

Thank you! When this was on local news, it was like 2 minutes long, and never did I hear about someone wanting to ban airsoft. Everyone on AP is blowing this WAY out of proportion.

[Hawkeye [F.O.A.D.]]

They're not members of AP. AP is not a policing body. Cops already dealt with them. No sudden legislation to ban airsoft because of two dickheads.

Not our job to figure out a "solution". Not our problem what the uneducated public does.

I've seen this exact thread a dozen times for the same type of news stories. It has yet to rock the airsoft world.

Thank you! When this was on local news, it was like 2 minutes long, and never did I hear about someone wanting to ban airsoft. Everyone on AP is blowing this WAY out of proportion.

Tell that to players in California looking down the barrel of SB199

[Matt]

They're not members of AP. AP is not a policing body. Cops already dealt with them. No sudden legislation to ban airsoft because of two dickheads.

Not our job to figure out a "solution". Not our problem what the uneducated public does.

I've seen this exact thread a dozen times for the same type of news stories. It has yet to rock the airsoft world.

Yup. Even if they did ban Airsoft with legislation, that would not stop us from enjoying this hobby as we are accustomed to. Sure, buying an AEG may not be as convenient, but that doesn't mean you can't source what you want and import it. We all had to do that years ago back when there were literally only 2-3 retailers in the entire US (with insane prices). But when you had to import a $300 AEG (400 with shipping), it made you think twice when your 13 year old son asked for one. Nowadays you can just buy one on a whim for $100, send them out into the streets of suburbia and say "have fun!"

[OcelotM16A4]

They're not members of AP. AP is not a policing body. Cops already dealt with them. No sudden legislation to ban airsoft because of two dickheads.

Not our job to figure out a "solution". Not our problem what the uneducated public does.

I've seen this exact thread a dozen times for the same type of news stories. It has yet to rock the airsoft world.

Thank you! When this was on local news, it was like 2 minutes long, and never did I hear about someone wanting to ban airsoft. Everyone on AP is blowing this WAY out of proportion.

Tell that to players in California looking down the barrel of SB199

I wasn't talking about Cali, no one was talking about banning Airsoft here, after this event.

[Alien_Hunter]

This is what us Californians are dealing with. Apparently a company called "AEG" has been selling highly realistic, low priced firearm replicas to our youth!

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20131023/articles/131029824