Paintballers are weak minded

For a long time, paintball players have been able to go to the internet to meet other players and make friends. We have paintball websites, chat rooms, newsgroups, and just about everything else imaginable for paintball. Heck we even have internet games to play and all sorts of other goodies. Are we just blessed? Or are we nuts?

So why is it like this? Why don’t we see as many soccer websites? Or so many football websites? Why does this phenomenon only happen with paintball. Why do paintball players feel that they need an online community to support each other? Why do we sell our equipment on paintball sites, and not on eBay like everyone else? Is it because our equipment is more expensive? Hockey equipment and golf equipment is expensive, so why don’t they sell their equipment on “specialty” websites?

Perhaps, it’s because paintball players view themselves as marginalized members of society? Is that possible. Is it because we are not mainstream? If so, for how long will we keep viewing ourselves as marginal members of society? When will we actually view ourselves as mainstream? Will we ever?

This dilemma faces almost all segments of society. Any group with a weak ontology will view itself as inferior or marginal. The black community faced this problem for a long time. Italians, Jewish people, and so many other groups had the same problem. This is a real issue that needs to be addressed.

Marginalized groups will form clubs, start their own newspaper, and socialize together, until they feel that they are ready to face society. Is that happening to paintball? Are we scared of what society thinks of us? Marginalized groups only go out and incorporate into society after they have established their ontology and realize that others do not view them as “outsiders.”

Until we stop screaming inferiority no one else will. We have to understand our role in society and work hard toward improving our own situation.