Quote:
Originally Posted by Oberst39
True you could say that about anything, however for the airsoft retailers that are selling to minors, these are EXACTLY the type of people we do not want selling airsoft, or for that matter affiliated with the sport whatsoever. For them, (the retailers) it is about the bottom line, money, and they do not care about airsoft at heart or otherwise would not be selling to minors. As a legitimate business, they have a duty to request ID of anyone who appears to be a minor. I would suggest that those of us who love airsoft police these stores as well. Should we become aware of, and observe the sale of airsoft to underage individuals, then we have a duty to call them out and report them to the appropriate authorities. Trust me, they will lose their business license to operate. I know that this may cast a disparaging image on other legitimate retailers, however if we as a community hold retailers accountable for their actions, it will demonstrate to government and the watchers out there that not only are we as a community responsible and law abiding when it comes to airsoft, but we will also hold each other accountable for our actions.
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I would think that most kids and teenagers who own airsoft guns would do so with their parents knowledge. Maybe a very small percentage do not. Why would any retailer risk losing their business for a couple of thousand dollars a year? The problem would be some unscrupulous adult buying guns from retailers and selling them to minors. The same old story. Just like the gun crises in the US. Guns sold to individuals at gun shows with no regulation and then resold to criminals. I prefer Canadian gun laws to American ones, but as far as I am concerned, airsoft has nothing to do with that.
If a criminal walked into a store to rob it and told the clerk it was an airsoft gun, the clerk would most likely give him the money anyway, just as if he walked into the store with a baseball bat. Should we regulate baseball bats? Anything can be used as a weapon. Airsoft guns are not weapons. They are intended to tag their opponents, not injure them. The sport is safely regulated and most injuries come from falling. Football is more dangerous.
But I agree, an airsoft gun can be used to trick someone into thinking the threat is more dangerous. But a criminal could also use a bag and say it has a bomb in it. Should we regulate bags? Make stricter laws in regards to any object being used as a threat in a criminal act.
In the meantime, be responsible and keep your airsoft gun in a case and only use it on isolated property, or at a airsoft field. Each individual has to be accountable to protect the sport from too much regulation and its demise.