1_big_guy
09-11-2004, 06:55 AM
September 11, 2001, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked. We mourn the lost. We pray for all who survived. We mourn man’s inhumanity to mankind.
In the days following the tragedy, some frantically asked “Why?” an looked for answers far beyond the simple truth. This world is a battleground between forces of good ad forces of evil. No more need be known, to understand.
Instead of placing responsibility and blame upon those who orchestrated the attacks, some beat the drums for further disarming the innocents – instead of the attackers. And some turned against paintball’s military scenario games.
Do these games glamorize war and killing? Are they inappropriate reminders o deep human tragedies, better left buried deep in memory? Dose playing war games make people warlike, and thus these games be avoided?
Better first to ask “What is war gaming?”
The ancient Asian game Go is a war game. The Olympics are war games – Celebrations of the human skills needed for warfighting. Games of physical skill and prowess test one’s physical abilities in preparation for “fight or flight” – the heart and soul of war.
Capture the flag, and tag, are warfighting skills translated into kids’ games. Video games, board games, all sports, all games, all puzzle solving games are related to war, which the failure of negotiations creating a situation where “might makes right.”
There is, in fact, a whole category of sports – two varieties of which are now Olympic sports – called “martial arts.” As in “arts developed for the purpose of warfare” – but arts which, at their heart, are about developing the inner self, good sportsmanship, and physical prowess.
Humans substitute gaming for physical brutality, to show “who’s best” – instead of maiming and killing, we try to best others using less that leathal skills. The farther removed from actual deadly force, the more the activity appears to be a game. That is, John beats Jerry at Ches, instead of beating Jerry to death to show who’s better. Notre Dame beats Ohio State in football, instead of fighting campus game wars to the death.
Consider all varieties of human interaction on a scale. At one end, actual killing of each other. At the other, staring at others to see who will blink first. Between, all activities, games, sports.
A knife fight in a dark alley is at, or near, the killing end of the spectrum. Olympics fencing is far toward the other end. A video game simulating either is but a mental challenge, with no actual physical contact whatsoever. A primitive skills contest to see who can sharpen a knife the beat the fastest is somewhere along that scale, too. Football, with physical contact, is a war game. Soccer, rugby, wrestling – all war games, all with a place somewhere along that scale.
Paintball is but one of many human activities. No physical contact between players allowed. The sport is a living video game, with goals, points, referees, boundaries, and rules of safety and conduct. Weather the fantasy paintball game is about Tribbles, Cowboys, Redcoats, or Doughboys, it’s a game.
Listen closely it’s a game.
Capture and imprison those who actually commit crimes of violence. They are but a tiny part of humanity. All the vast billions who don’t commit violent acts, who don’t wage killing wars – we need to respect their choices in work, worship, entertainment, and yes, in the games they wish to play.
In the days following the tragedy, some frantically asked “Why?” an looked for answers far beyond the simple truth. This world is a battleground between forces of good ad forces of evil. No more need be known, to understand.
Instead of placing responsibility and blame upon those who orchestrated the attacks, some beat the drums for further disarming the innocents – instead of the attackers. And some turned against paintball’s military scenario games.
Do these games glamorize war and killing? Are they inappropriate reminders o deep human tragedies, better left buried deep in memory? Dose playing war games make people warlike, and thus these games be avoided?
Better first to ask “What is war gaming?”
The ancient Asian game Go is a war game. The Olympics are war games – Celebrations of the human skills needed for warfighting. Games of physical skill and prowess test one’s physical abilities in preparation for “fight or flight” – the heart and soul of war.
Capture the flag, and tag, are warfighting skills translated into kids’ games. Video games, board games, all sports, all games, all puzzle solving games are related to war, which the failure of negotiations creating a situation where “might makes right.”
There is, in fact, a whole category of sports – two varieties of which are now Olympic sports – called “martial arts.” As in “arts developed for the purpose of warfare” – but arts which, at their heart, are about developing the inner self, good sportsmanship, and physical prowess.
Humans substitute gaming for physical brutality, to show “who’s best” – instead of maiming and killing, we try to best others using less that leathal skills. The farther removed from actual deadly force, the more the activity appears to be a game. That is, John beats Jerry at Ches, instead of beating Jerry to death to show who’s better. Notre Dame beats Ohio State in football, instead of fighting campus game wars to the death.
Consider all varieties of human interaction on a scale. At one end, actual killing of each other. At the other, staring at others to see who will blink first. Between, all activities, games, sports.
A knife fight in a dark alley is at, or near, the killing end of the spectrum. Olympics fencing is far toward the other end. A video game simulating either is but a mental challenge, with no actual physical contact whatsoever. A primitive skills contest to see who can sharpen a knife the beat the fastest is somewhere along that scale, too. Football, with physical contact, is a war game. Soccer, rugby, wrestling – all war games, all with a place somewhere along that scale.
Paintball is but one of many human activities. No physical contact between players allowed. The sport is a living video game, with goals, points, referees, boundaries, and rules of safety and conduct. Weather the fantasy paintball game is about Tribbles, Cowboys, Redcoats, or Doughboys, it’s a game.
Listen closely it’s a game.
Capture and imprison those who actually commit crimes of violence. They are but a tiny part of humanity. All the vast billions who don’t commit violent acts, who don’t wage killing wars – we need to respect their choices in work, worship, entertainment, and yes, in the games they wish to play.