We are not about to dispute facts, we trust our medical professionals and hold them in the highest regard. Eye injuries in Indiana have risen. And yes, 11 of the injuries were paintball related. As was stated, the individual was not wearing his mask when he incurred the eye injury. In one case, the vision was permanently impaired. Most cases were not on regulated fields.

Where is the world of paintball going? Are paintball players dumb, or simply want people to become convinced that they are. Why can't we get it right? How hard is it to wear your goggles and mask at all times? The study says that many of the participants were wearing helmets, but not at the time when the accident occurred. Obviously.

Will new legislation make a difference? Heck, they are going after handguns and other weapons, why not have an all inclusive bill that eliminates paintball guns as well? Do we need that? Or perhaps, we should outlaw renegade paintball? Or require that paintball only be played on special government approved playing fields? What do we need?

Up until now, paintball has been a self-regulated industry. We, the players, have made self-imposed laws about how the game should be played. We set the 300 feet per second velocity limit. We made rules about face masks. We made a surrender rule. We decided to send players home packing if they removed their helmets. We did all of that. But do we need to do more?

Unfortunately, if we have more negative publicity and more reports about eye injuries going skyward, we may no longer have a choice. The freedom and responsibility that we have, for a long time, imposed and forced upon our selves, may no longer be an option. We may have to relinquish that power to someone else.

Unless paintball players shape up and get their act together, we may no longer be allowed to play. Can it really get that bad? Maybe not, but it can get worse. If paintball is even slightly restricted, less people will play, due to accessibility problems, and prices will sky rocket. Not good.

Let's get our act together, before someone else does it for us.

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