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« on: 28 March, 2007, 15:49:33 » |
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evo i rasprava oce li proglasiti zabranjeno koristenje paintball markera izvan fildova iliti ga državnim tlom namjenjenim za tu aktivnost....
cak se može dobiti godina dana zatvora ako se nemarno koristi marker...uglavnom nadam se da znate engleski :weedman:
Bill would classify paintball guns as weapons, restrict use
By RAY HENRY
Associated Press writer
March 21, 2007 6:00 AM
PROVIDENCE — Shooting an opponent with a paintball gun outside a government-designated zone could become a crime in Rhode Island punishable by a year in prison under a bill state lawmakers are considering.
The legislation would add paintball guns to a list of regulated or banned weapons that includes daggers, metal knuckles, stun guns and bowie knives. It also would forbid people from carrying loaded paintball guns inside a vehicle's passenger cab.
Paintball guns — called "markers" by enthusiasts — use compressed gas to hurl paint-filled balls of gel at a bruising 170 mph.
A nurses' association backing the bill describes those guns as a dangerous nuisance that can kill or blind, although business owners call the proposals a bit draconian.
"Yeah, it could be a little extreme," said state Sen. James Doyle, D-Pawtucket, a bill sponsor who admits there are some kinks to work out.
Doyle said he's not trying to end paintball games. He's trying to deter paintball vandals from spraying or injuring unsuspecting people or pelting buildings, smashing windows and cracking vinyl siding.
Doyle's bill also restricts games to designated areas. Exactly who would be responsible for those designations and how they would be made is unclear.
He said he believed the bill would restrict paintball wars to indoor arenas or keep them on private property, so long as the players wear safety goggles and protective clothing. But Denise Coppa, who has lobbied for the bill, said she believed it would outlaw games on private property.
Coppa's son was legally blinded in his right eye by a paintball gun more than three years ago when he was 16. Since then, she's pressured lawmakers to take action.
Her son was attacked by a group of neighborhood boys trying to film a prank, she said. During the ambush, they shot him more than 20 times even as he shouted for them to stop. One ball struck his right eye, tore a membrane and caused bleeding that severely damaged his eyesight.
One culprit was fined $400 by a Family Court judge who confiscated his gun, Coppa said. North Kingstown Sgt. John Murphy said police investigated the case, but he could not comment on its outcome since it involved people who were juveniles at the time.
It took six months for Coppa's son to recuperate from an injury that ended his dream of becoming a military pilot.
"He's legally blind in that eye. It will never be correctable to 20-20," Coppa said. "People are not understanding how serious this is."
Opponents worry that a law designed to crack down on vandals could infringe on law-abiding paintball players. One provision would require players to secure their guns in closed containers when walking outside an approved zone.
Chris Catucci owns Providence Indoor Paintball, a 20,000-square-foot indoor arena and obstacle course that specializes in capture-the-flag games and children's birthday parties. He said he already gives safety lectures to anyone who buys a paintball gun and requires all players to wear goggles inside his business.
Under the bill, Catucci would have to earn approval as a designated paintball site to operate his business. He wasn't sure how that would happen.
"It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, honestly," he said. "It's completely unreasonable."
Some are calling for compromise.
Chris Raehl runs the multistate National Collegiate Paintball Association from his home in Chippewa Falls, Wis. He tracks state attempts to regulate the paintball industry and doesn't mind rules keeping paintball guns outside the reach of car passengers.
Pennsylvania lawmakers took that step in 2001, and towns and cities across the country have enacted similar ordinances.
"The only reason you'd do that is if you're up to some mischief, like you're shooting mailboxes," Raehl said. However, he cautioned that other parts of Rhode Island's proposed law are ambivalent, even overreaching. "It sounds like something with good intent, but maybe it needs a little cleanup."
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