| Airsoft guns may soon be going the way of real | | | | In light of the calls to ban what are essentially toys, |
| guns around the world, even in the US. Built to | | | | it?s quite ironic that the rise of Airsoft popularity |
| resemble actual weapons, Airsoft guns instead shoot | | | | began in Asian countries where access to real |
| pellets and are used in several games much like | | | | firearms is difficult. The realistic look of the guns |
| paintball. These games range from freeform death | | | | contributed to the popularity of the games in which |
| match style in which all the players are basically out | | | | they used, lending them a certain reality that older |
| for themselves and anything goes, to team play that | | | | style pellet guns simply didn?t have. Eventually, the |
| resembles war games. Although pellets are used | | | | craze pushed westward and took up residence in |
| instead of bullets or paintballs, getting hit can still | | | | Europe and America. With the lax gun control laws in |
| result in a nasty sting and a lingering wound. | | | | America, these Airsoft guns are much more |
| Complaints against Airsoft guns have come from a | | | | dangerous. While it?s unlikely that a large group of |
| number of quarters. For instance, the University of | | | | young people in Japan or England would be walking |
| Hawaii at Manoa has banned Airsoft guns. Despite | | | | around openly carrying real guns, the police in |
| that ban?or, indeed, perhaps because of it?the | | | | America don?t have the luxury of second guessing. If |
| campus was the site of a series of assaults on | | | | a policeman sees a gun that looks real he simply has |
| students by someone using an Airsoft pellet gun. | | | | to assume that it is real, especially when pointed at |
| Even so, much of the uproar has less to do with the | | | | him. |
| damage done by the pellets and more with the | | | | The answer, clearly, doesn?t have to be outright |
| construction of the guns themselves. | | | | banning of Airsoft guns. Since even accidental victims |
| Airsoft guns can take the form of handguns or larger | | | | of pellet shots often admit that getting shot by one |
| rifles and they can look remarkably realistic. It is this | | | | of them isn?t terribly painful, it seems rather ridiculous |
| realism that has raised questions of safety, not the | | | | to ban these guns when the banning of real |
| actual damage done by the pellets. Recently in | | | | handguns are impossible. Rather, why not just make |
| Florida, a middle school student was shot by police | | | | them less realistic? That doesn?t necessarily entail |
| after he brandished a weapon at them. The weapon | | | | stripping the Airsoft guns of all realism, but would it |
| turned out to be a pellet gun, though it was never | | | | hurt to redesign them subtly so that it is obvious |
| established whether or not it was actually an Airsoft | | | | they aren?t actual handguns? |
| gun. From a distance, Airsoft guns definitely resemble | | | | The cost of realism in a game hardly seems worth |
| the real thing and this has certainly led to a move to | | | | the price of a life. |
| ban them. | | | | |