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 Hawaiian gun range gun (courtesy gunsamerica.com)

Rep. Colleen Hanabusa is the U.S. Representative for Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District. In her HuffPo pro gun control polemic Hawaii Has Shown That Gun Control Works, Hanabusa paints a picture of a gun control island paradise, where “common sense limits on gun ownership” have helped Hawaii achieve and preserve “our low level of gun-related violence.” Oh really? Let’s take a closer look at those limits and take a peek at Hawaii’s crime stats . . .

“Hawaii’s gun laws are strict, but hardly draconian,” Hanabusa asserts. Wrong. Hawaii is a “may issue” state. Local (not state) law enforcement authorities decide whether or not residents get to exercise their natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to bear arms—according to criteria of four county police chiefs’ choosing. Oh, and just like Rhode Island, Hawaii doesn’t honor a concealed carry permit from any other state.

Bottom line: denial and disarmament is the default option. As civil.liberty.about.com puts it “Hawaii is perhaps the nation’s strictest state for concealed carry; very few permits are issued. In order to receive a permit, residents must show exceptional reason for fear for themselves or their property.” Here’s how that translates into the real world [via handgunlaw.us] . . .

In the last 15 years [up to 2006], no law abiding citizen applying for a permit to carry a concealed firearm in Honolulu has  been granted one — not one domestic violence victim, not one person whose life was in danger, not one person working where they may be robbed at gunpoint.

Violent crime in Honolulu is below the national average and trending downwards. However, there is violent crime (as you’d expect from a city of nearly 400k). According to cityrating.com, the Honolulu police department recorded 5,760 burglaries, 1,420 aggravated assaults, 218 forcible rapes and 19 murders in 2010. I’d like to hear Ms. Hanabusa tell a rape victim that Hawaii’s unconstitutional restrictions on concealed carry are “simple common sense.”

Of course, it’s important to remember that the right to keep and bear arms does not depend on crime stats—any more than Ms. Hanabusa’s right to promote an anti-gun agenda depends on her oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. So here’s the rundown on the rest of the America’s 50th state’s [allegedly] non-draconian gun laws, from Ms. Hanabusa’s article:

All handgun transfers, whether from a dealer or a private seller, require a permit, and sellers must report transfers to the issuing authority. The buyer of a rifle or shotgun can obtain a permit that covers all purchases for one year, although all transfers must still be reported. Permits call for background checks and a mandatory 14-day waiting period. Permit applicants also agree to allow the issuing authorities access to any records that have a bearing on the applicant’s mental health; doctors are given immunity from civil liability for providing that information in connection with a permit application.

Hanabusa forgot to mention the mandatory safety course required for permit applicants. Or the fingerprinting. Or the separate fees and applications for each handgun purchase. (Which apply to any firearm transfer, including guns given to family members.) Also unspoken: all firearms must be registered with the Hawaii police department. All of them. Every. Single. One.

Hanabusa seems to forget that some of her constituents—perhaps residents whose ancestors who were disarmed and interned by the U.S. during World War II—view a firearms registry as in inherent threat to their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

That’s without delving into the issue of mental health records privacy. What if an Anafranil-addled psycho shoots up a Big Island gun-free zone and the State (in its infinite wisdom) revokes the firearms permits for anyone on antidepressants? The Chiefs will know who’s on what, what guns they own and where they live. Bye-bye guns.

I am certain that there are extremists on both sides of the gun control debate in Hawaii, as in the rest of the nation. However, it has been our willingness and ability to develop mutually respectful and effective gun control laws that have kept our community safe. Our experience has shown that common sense solutions save lives. I hope our nation will follow our example.

See what she’s done there? Hanabusa’s positioned Hawaii’s draconian unconstitutional anti-gun laws as “the middle way” to make it seem like anyone who supports gun rights is an extremist. And then she calls those laws “mutually respectful and effective” and requests ever-so-politely that the People of the Gun abandon their rights to “save lives.”

Meanwhile, Ms. Hanabusa’s pals in the Pacific tried to pass an assault weapons ban, require firearms owners to attend state-approved training every two years and disallow ammo sales to people without proof of a firearms permit. Despite the [fake] unanimity the Rep tries to sell through the HuffPo, all those measures failed. As Hawaiian gun permits rose by 70 percent.

If Hawaii tells us one thing, it’s that Americans will jump through any hoop to exercise their right to keep and bear arms. As history tells us, the less hoops, the more legally armed Americans, the better. Even in paradise.

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91 COMMENTS

    • It most certainly is. I see film shoots all the time here on O’ahu and the Honolulu Police markings aren’t even the ones the actual HPD uses.

      Also, while there are racial tensions, the show waaaaaaay overstates the fact.

  1. When the antis say “Common Sense Gun Control”, what they really mean is “unless you’re a member of The Inner Party, ye shall not be armed.”

    Contrary to legal statements, New York City,Chicago, Los Angeles,and Honolulu do issue carry permits.Theyre exclusive property of the Elite and its highest supporters.

    • Chicago does not now, and never has, issued or had the authority to issue a carry permit. Only state exempted personnel have been allowed to carry anywhere in Illinois.

      • Ah!

        But by Chicago statute-perhaps this has changed recently -city Alderman are authorized to carry a weapon.In addition, reserve LEOs can carry in Illinois,which led to a scandal some years back when it came to light that some friends of the Mayor somehow acquired Reserve Officer status .

      • Exactly! Only State Exempted people can leggally carry concealed. Which means the Ubermasterrs staff will be authorized. The slaves (Called ordinary people) will not. Oh Yes! Freedom is rife in Hawaii!!!

      • Oh Yes!!! Only state exempted staff will be issued Concealed Carry Permits. Which translates to “Only the Ubermasters staff can carry a weapon. all slaves (AKA little people) are not allowed. Real Freedom for people in Hawaii!!! Molon Labe. Semper Fi. R.I.P the Lords of Hawaii!

  2. Gun control Utopias like Hawaii, Japan, England and Australia all have one thing in common: they’re islands! The cost for criminals to obtain and maintain firearms in these places is very steep. They have to import or manufacture everything from ammunition to replacement parts. It’s impractical for all but the most well connected criminals. Every other nation or city that attempts strict gun control laws (and is not an island) ends up like Mexico, Brazil, Russia or Shitcago. And if, like Germany, they have strict gun control laws and low crime they should be thanking their culture not their lawmakers.

    • I would argue that any remotely wealthy population not on complete lock-down can easily manufacture and distribute weapons “underground”.
      However, I agree that it’s good to think about the wide variety of factors that can influence behavior (since weapon regulations don’t seem to matter). Geographical isolation certainly has potential.

      • Right, but that isn’t my point. All of the anti gun supporters point to places like Hawaii and England as proof that gun control laws are effective and responsible for their low rate of gun related violence. When in reality the laws have very little to do with it. If they were then places with draconian gun laws, like Mexico and Brazil, wouldn’t have such high rates of gun related violence and homicide.

        • Yes.

          The reality is that violence has more to do with poverty and the ‘war on drugs’ then gun control or lack thereof. Hawaii is largely affluent and expensive place to live and any part of the country that is like that is going to see lower overall rates of violence.

          Get rid of welfare for able body adults, get rid of regulations hurting businesses, get rid of the ‘war on drugs’, go back to localized government, and a few other things like that and you’ll eventually be able to make this country as safe as Switzerland. The majority of what is going wrong in terms of ‘gun violence’ in this country is manufactured by poor government regulation.

        • You couldn’t be farther off base! England and Australia have far HIGHER violent crime and murders than the US since their gun confiscations in ’97. Knowing that the citizens are unarmed, the criminals do as the please. There are numerous youtube videos of Aussies and Brits warning us about gun control.

      • True… The US has a wide open Southern border linking it to Mexico and further on to South America. Cartels run things in Mexico and many parts of South America, and they’ll definitely have no moral qualms about trafficking guns up to the US if there’s money to be made.

        Japan, England, or Australia do not share a border with a near-lawless region infested with violent criminal syndicates.

        • Don’t forget if those Cartels cannot get guns on their own, the US government will provide them. Fast and Furious anyone?

          Which reminds me: did the US government charge the Mexican Cartels for the guns they supplied them or not? If not, does that mean those Cartels were registered as non-profit organizations in the US?

      • but…There has to be guns there for them to steal. If you are NOT an island they can go next door to steal the guns and bring them home. If you are not an island people can buy guns nearby and simply smuggle them overland into the disarmed place. This makes illegal guns relatively cheap and so every petty crook or gang-banger can tool up as he wants. If you are an island the smuggling process is much more difficult, the risks greater, and there are probably more lucrative things you could spend your time importing (heroin, marijuana, coke). Any illegal guns that are imported will be priced out of the range of your average low-end punk or wife-killer. It’s all about the economics, net their stupid laws. It’s a very good bet that if they outlawed guns on Hawaii entirely that the black market would blossom overnight.

    • Don’t forget to add the island paradise that is Cuba to your list. They ban long arms (and thus counter-revolutionaries, natch) but do allow permitted & licensed possession of handguns. Undoubtedly they’re a “may issue” nation where party affiliation matters greatly in the decision.

    • The criminals bring in the guns with the dope every where in the world. Show me a place that is drug free and they might have a chance at reducing inbound illegal weapons traffic. It makes no difference if it is an island.

    • So you are telling me that there are no military establishments on any of the islands that are subject to burglary or robbery of weapons and/or ammunition? Sure, I believe that.

  3. I was stationed out there for 6 years. Hawaii’s gun laws are terrible. Home invasions and robbery on the road with people impersonating cops was on the rise. beatings, shootings, and everything else you’d expect to follow along with a place containing a huge concentration of ice heads. Stats in Honolulu might look better but its because they started forcing the dregs out of the city limits. Take a look at the rest of the island and you’ll get a good picture of what’s going on. There are a lot of great people out there, but a safe haven, utopia, super happy fun world alone it is not. There is a very real, very dark underbelly on all those rainbows and its not getting any better, and won’t any time soon if the economy keeps with the course it is on.

    • I’m stationed in Hawaii now. You’re right. Aside from Honolulu and Mililani, this place is pretty ghetto. This state needs to stop spending resources to deny civil rights and start fixing its terrible, terrible roads.

      • Like the first time I was in LA (from the Northeast) I looked at it as a ghetto with beautiful palm trees. All they needed was a few unicorns.

  4. WOW! Here I thought NJ was bad. My condolences to the folks in Hawaii. I have been there, and it is a paradise from a tourist’s point of view, but apparently not so much for the people that live there.

      • Hawaii actually does have a ban on standard capacity rifle magazines if there are any handguns which also use them. SO, since there is a handgun which accepts AR-15 mags, any over 10 round capacity are a misdemeanor, unless they are inserted in a gun. Then they are a felony. Mini-14 mags are OK because there are no handguns which accept them. All pistol mags over 10 rounds are illegal.

  5. Hmmm the reason Japan didn’t press on and invade Hawaii and the rest of mainland America was gun owners explain that one antis. maybe its a bad thing the US hasn’t had to fight from her own shores in so long and hasn’t faced the threat of invasion maybe if we had and did in more recent memory there wouldn’t be so many antis.

  6. There’s a reason why I left Hawaii. Have not been back there since ’88. There’s no reason to go back there anymore. Sad day indeed.

  7. Hmmm, a remote island, expensive to get to and live on, and a long history of a heterogeneous population. I’d bet there are some ethnic and racial factors when compared to the mainland melting pot that might be influencing those crime numbers.

    • Years ago I was in Hawaii, A comedian told the story that crime is lower in Hawaii, mainly because of the vast number of interpersonal relationships, everybody is related to everyone else. Sounded reasonable.

    • I don’t think the racial factors have a big influence. The people who move here and love it are control freaks, and they come in all colors, races, and religions. The people who are born here, of any background, tend to be of the culture just like people anywhere are part of their culture. It’s a control freak culture.

  8. I was stationed in Hawaii a looong time ago and I remember that once you got a couple of blocks away from the beach at waikiki, it was pretty much a sewer. Groups of thugs roaming around looking for people to rob, or (during that time period) just to stomp into a pulp for fun, rampant prostitution, and of course drugs. Lots of drugs. Weed of course, and cocaine, I think that was around the time the meth problem was just starting. Of course anytime theres drugs, theres gonna be gangs. I recall there were certain areas of Honolulu where even the cops wouldnt go unless they could go in force. I knew several people who were victims of severe beatings by large groups of thugs. Open hostility toward “outsiders” seemed the rule in most parts of the island of Oahu. I never went anywhere without a knife for self defense. For all the scenic views and nice weather, I would have rather been stationed pretty much anywhere else. Sometimes I wonder if these idiot politicians are too stupid to grasp the idea that it’s not about guns. It’s about people. Certain people just dont care that the law says it’s illegal to smash a cinder block over someones head ( happened to a guy in my unit) then have 8-10 people stomp him into a bloody mess. Until politicians can find a way to totally eliminate violent criminal behavior, then law abiding citizens deserve and have the right to defend themselves. Every person reading this knows that. What we really need first is politician control. Like term limits. Maybe then we could get only people with commin sense (and legitimate careers) to run for office.

    • I spent 3 years there in the early 70’s and except for Waikiki, Honolulu was a dangerous place–especially if you were a non-native. About 10 years ago 60 minutes did a show about all the tourists who have been victims of violent crime or simply vanished. If their crime rates appear low, it’s likely they use the same math Bloomberg uses in NYC.

      • If their crime rates appear low you can bet it’s the Chamber of Commerce cooking the books so the tourists won’t be scared off.

  9. I’m sure the same can be said about how Vermont’s ‘common sense’ gun laws help keep crime low in that state. So let’s all follow Vermont’s example and ‘meet in the middle’ and have constitutions carry.

  10. That picture is just so wrong.
    Remembering getting to rent a GE mini gun with a 100 round belt down in Las Vegas for 100 bucks. Shooting at a car. Geez, before you could think it, it was done. I wasn’t, of course. The gun sounded like burlap ripping. I probably sounded a bit different.
    That picture of a really nice 686 just seems like a chastity belt with razor blades…
    Hawaii sucks.

  11. as an angry Hawaiian let me say that Hawaii hasn’t been free for a long time….. we didn’t exactly want to be a state and the fact that Hawaii didn’t have a strong second amendment made us ripe for the picking. …

    lesson in this story is that you can’t ever have enough guns

  12. As another HAwaii resident, trust me when i say that you dont know the half of how annoying reigstration is.

    they also forgot to mention how its only during standard business hours, so it just screws over so many people, having to burn vacation days on this.

  13. 19 murders in a city of 400k is 4.8 per 100k or about the national average. The homicide in gun plentiful Arlington, Falls Church and Alexandria with a population close to 400k is around 1 per 100k. Just saying.

  14. Let’s be honest. Their crime is down because of Dog the Bounty Hunter and his sweet mullet bringing all the bad guys to justice.

  15. Why can these idiots not get it through their heads. There have been murderers long before there were guns. More guns do not equal more murder. I would like for them to spend a week in a high security prison and see where their stance on gun control was after they got out. (Hint: prison is one of the most dangerous places on the planet, but even visiting police officers have to check their guns at the door.)

  16. Here is a comparison of violent crime rate for Hawaii with other small states. I add in Virginia for comparison with a medium sized state with a more diverse population. It is clear from the 2012 FBI uniform crime data that Ms. Hanabusa has little to crow about. Hawaii is right in the middle of violent crime rates statistics when compared to small states. Hawaii’s ranking doesn’t take into account Hawaii very favorable demographics, i.e., a preponderance of low crime rate ethnic groups and a large contingent of generally law abiding military personnel and their families. The four states that have lower crime rate all have very few restrictions on the ownership of firearms. In comparison with gun friendly Virginia a state with far less favorable demographics, Hawaii only has lower murder rate. Virginia has lower crime rates for all other categories.

    Guns and gun laws have little to do with violent crime rates. Crime is driven by demographics. Inanimate objects don’t commit crimes, people commit crimes.

    VCR Murder rape robbery assault
    Delaware 547.4 6.2 26.5 162.7 352
    Hawaii 239.2 2.1 20.5 74.7 141.9
    Idaho 207.9 1.8 30 15.2 160.9
    Maine 122.7 1.9 28 31.8 61
    Montana 272.2 2.7 37.7 19 212.8
    North Dakota 244.7 4 38.9 18.7 183.1
    Rhode Island 252.4 3.2 27.4 67.9 153.9
    New Hampshire 187.9 1.1 34 35.7 117
    South Dakota 321.8 3 70.2 19 229.7
    Vermont 142.6 1.3 19.3 17.9 104.2
    Virginia 190.1 3.8 17.7 57.5 111.1

    Source: FBI Uniform Crime Data for 2012.

    Edit: Sorry. The comment software killed my formating

  17. Gun crime in Hawaii is rampant. Violation of the Constitution is a crime. Denial of 2nd Amendment rights is a gun crime.

    Violent crime in Hawaii is rampant. An armed band systematically deprives the citizenry of their God-given rights through violence and the threat of violence.

    • I don’t think that it is so much that they lie as that they are able to look at a constitutional provision which says “shall not be infringed” and conclude that means “of course I can make it a felony.” And I think they really do believe that.

  18. Rep. Hanabusa also adamantly defends Hawaii’s refusal to enact any version of “Megan’s Law” and a plan whereby the Hawaiian State Government bought one-way tickets to “The Mainland” and put homeless persons on Planes to various West Coast Metropolitan Centers. So, yeah, she’s a real piece of work…but typical of Hawaiian Politicians.

  19. I’ve been to Hawaii more than a couple of times, and I have lots of friends from the 808 state… sure, it’s “paradise”, but as others have mentioned here in the comments, there’s a dark side to island life. Poverty, a terrible public school system, drugs, crime, etc.

    A lot of people forget that before Hawai’i was a state or a US territory, it was run by the British, who first established the plantation system similar to other island colonies like Jamaica. The plantation system is all about control, so do you really think plantation owners gave a sh!t about gun rights? Hell no… don’t want any of chance of the workers arming up and overthrowing the boss. Instead, plantation owners / wealthy land elite ended up overthrowing the Hawaiian monarchy (which wasn’t that great for regular folks either) so that Hawai’i could become a US territory.

  20. Robert, The reality is Hawaii never had a high murder rate to begin with. The powers that be want to point to the gun laws and say “See! See!” but the culture of Hawaii (and most island peoples) is one of helping each other and trying not to shame yourself or your family. With that said the gun laws here donot protect citizens, they protect criminals. In Hawaii, criminals can steal your TV and you cannot stop them. Only if they present grievous bodily injury can you defend yourself or others with lethal force. This has empowered meth heads to steal at will. Both my neighbors have had him invasions and the cops have caught neither perp. In one case, the neighbors daughter was home alone when the dirt bag broke in. Luckily for her he ran for it as soon as she screamed but it took cops 12 minutes to get there.

    I could go on and on but I wanted to mention the real danger from the Hawaii example. Last year State Senator Les Ihara introduced Senate Bill 219, an bill that would not only ban “assault weapons” but force every owner of one in the state to turn them in. Yes, it is confiscation. Pure and simple. The bill was introduced by Sen Ihara “on behalf of a third party”. I still haven’t found out who that is.

    Keep in mind Sen Ihara also proposed legislation in 2010 that wanted to ban all pocket knives. Yes, you read that right.

    Here is the vision of the Democratic Party, lots of drugs, and a populace that is unarmed and at the mercy of the State for everything.

    .

    • Actually, its not really Les Ihara doing this. I don’t like the guy, but he’s actually doing far more to represent his constituents than anyone else. All of these retarded bills are citizen submissions that he has agreed to introduce if anyone has them. Any in his district could introduce a bill to legalize CCW and he’d submit it. His district just happens to be stupid.

      • That sounds great but since we don’t know who the third party was we cannot assume it was someone from Palolo, can we? Anyone check to see if Bloomberg has a home there?

  21. Robert, You forgot to mention that all NFA items are banned completely under Hawaii State Law… No silencers, SBRs, or select fire of any kind.

  22. The original Steve-o was Jack Lord who hated guns so much he was willing and bragged that he would make the show as horrific as the network would allow to promote his agenda

  23. TO: All
    RE: ‘Common Sense’ Gun Control

    Gun Control: The insane theory that a woman found dead in an alley, raped and strangled with her own pantyhose, is somehow morally superior to a woman explaining to a cop how her attacker got that fatal bullet wound.

    Someone should give the good Congresswoman an up-close and personal demonstration of that definition.

    I’ll be she packs.

    Why won’t the stupid hypocrite let other women do so?

    Regards,

    Chuck(le)
    [The Truth will out…..she’s a hypocrite.]

  24. Expanding on SB219 our local Kauai PD decided about the time the confiscation law was introduced that they needed to buy two sniper rifles to deal with “hostage situations” of which we havent have any….connect the dots….

      • Lol… Funny you mention an MRAP.
        Maui county PD Got one in 2015.

        Anyway, yes…
        We have crime, no we don’t shoot each other often. We use other more civilized means of assault. Bats, knives, clubs etc.
        crime goes underreported, since we have to protect that tourist dollar.
        Who wants to visit a place where you might get your face pushed in while out for a drink?
        So the gun laws suck… But california is MUCH worse.
        I can have my 30 round rifle mags, and my evil black rifle here (no bullet buttons on any of MY
        hardware thank you very much)
        The permit process is a pain. But it’s not the end of the world, I checked with my Doc after I applied for my first long gun permit, they never pulled the records. The worst part about it is the multiple visits to the police station during work hours.
        That needs streamlining big time.
        The locals react with shock when I tell them about Cali’s gun laws.

  25. Well, Auckland NZ is the largest city in Polynesia, with a large population of gang members and a fair degree of drug traffic. I have been stranded after a vehicle failure (attending a ZZ Top concert), and the only ride back to my distant home town was with the local gang. Fortunately they knew who I was and gave me a ride. Many months later I had a 3am knock on the door, The sergeant at arms announced that this wasn’t a robbery, that his bros needed a ride. I happily obliged.

    Polynesia is all about getting along. We all come from different backgrounds and experience, but a bit of aroha (aloha in Hawaiian), acknowledgement and respect goes a long way. The Island way is all about sharing. Sometimes you might be expected to share if you seem to have a little more. It all balances out.

    We have the strict gun licensing system inherited from our British Empire heritage. But it is a bit more relaxed and enabling here. But nobody carries guns. That means jail time. Our hunting needs are well catered to. Yes, we have to display our firearms license to buy ammunition. We don’t worry too much about violent crime. Our cultures mingle and intermarriage is very common. It’s nice here.

    • It may well be very nice in New Zealand if you are a control freak.

      The US was created explicitly as a rejection of control freak values, and we have repudiated all too much of our purpose. We are well on the way to becoming just another big government country, but with thousands of nuclear weapons, and the most massive military the world has ever known.

      For all the people who think US citizens should be further disarmed: If we can’t control our government, just exactly who will?

    • It may well be very nice in New Zealand if you are a control freak.

      The US was created explicitly as a rejection of control freak values, and we have repudiated all too much of our purpose. We are well on the way to becoming just another big government country, but with thousands of nuclear weapons, and the most massive military the world has ever known.

      For all the people who think US citizens should be further disarmed: If we can’t control our government, just exactly who will?

    • It may well be very nice in New Zealand if you are a control freak.

      The US was created explicitly as a rejection of control freak values, and we have repudiated all too much of our purpose. We are well on the way to becoming just another big government country, but with thousands of nuclear weapons, and the most massive military the world has ever known.

      For all the people who think US citizens should be further disarmed: If we can’t control our government, just exactly who will?

  26. Politicians in Hawaii are nothing more than a bunch of uneducated wannabe’s, just like their counterparts in the mainland U.S. They all want recognition and to feel a sense of importance, and yet, politicians were the very ones that sold out the nation of Hawaii and it’s culture to the British White Man for a few trinkets. Hell, they even began dressing like them back in the old days. Tune in to one of their local T.V. channels the next time an election rolls around, and you’ll see what I mean. Anybody’s uncle can run for public office, nine times out of ten, they don’t know squat about any of the issues. This state is a shithole of Democrats. People there are so dumbed down. Can’t really say I blame them entirely though. The poverty rate is really high. They are kept that way for a reason. They basically want the locals to be sheep, following whatever they are told. They vote for the same idiot democrat every election cycle. The candidate is either their neighbor, or they are related to. (Actually, In Hawaii, everyone is related). So, this is how you have a perpetual cycle of tyranny. It’s the same stupid politicians lying and screwing the very people they call family, and for what? They want to be just like the democrats in Washington. How pathetic. And this chick Hanabusa, man she takes the cake.

  27. I have done some research in regards to the safety of nations in which guns are prohibited or extremely controlled. What I have found is there is more crime, check it out for yourselves. Start with Canada – take a look at rape. Rape in particular seems to triple in comparison to the states, than , take a look at mass shootings , many of these mass shootings are conducted by foreigners allowed into a host nation , Canada being a good example.
    I am an American, endowed with a God given right to be free which is backed up by the constitution.

    I have carried for many years, having armed myself after being victimized too many times, carrying a firearm , knowing how to use it, put an end to the brutalities , to being a victim. It also saved on one occasion , my children’s lives and my own, when police , even with warning hours in advance, failed to protect myself and my children. Just try to take my gun! I would rather die a free woman than live as a subservient to a corrupt gov!

  28. Questions abound. These laws clearly infringe on the right to bear arms. The State officials who introduced, championed, voted into law, and continue to support these controls have abrogated their oath of office wherein they swore to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic …

    Why isn’t some legal entity taking them to task on both counts?

    • Very late response to this… but I too have reprimanded all Hawaii state legislators for their draconian gun laws and how acceptance and creation of those laws violates their oath of office. The Hawaii state constitution has the exact same wording as the U.S. Constitution Second Amendment. Exactly. The “out” in the oath of office in Hawaii is that it contain a final phrase/clause: “to the best of my ability”. All the moron, idiot, tyrant legislators just say “I’m doing the best I can. Go suck it.”

      Lucky we live Hawaii!

  29. The reason for strict gun laws in Hawaii is simple: The whites fear armed native Hawaiians taking up arms to repel the invasion of western culture, which stripped them of their land, enslaved them with welfare, and taxation, in order to build resorts and sell off land to wealthy whites. Fruit and cane sugar companies invaded the islands, and missionaries stole much of the land, including the famous Robinson family who purchased the forbidden island of Niihau from the Queen for $10,000 (How can a Monarchy charged with protecting its people, sell the very land which belongs to the people?). The Hawaiian people lack the means to forcibly expel the yoke of imperialist western civilization, and they will always be subservient to the west as long as they are unarmed and shackled.

    • Denny, you said ” The whites fear armed native Hawaiians taking up arms to repel the invasion of western culture”. Do you live here? Whites don’t run this state anymore, and it has been a very long time since they did. It isn’t the white residents who are banning guns. At least not any more enthusiastically than anyone else.

      “How can a Monarchy charged with protecting its people, sell the very land which belongs to the people?”

      The land never did belong to the people. Ever. The land, ALL OF THE LAND, belonged to a very small number of hereditary aristocrats. There was some distribution during the 19th century, but it was relatively trivial. Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop alone owned 11% of the entire state. Hawaii had a feudal landholding system, and Hawaiian Homelands just continues that system in which people of Hawaiian ancestry are gulled into becoming tenants on the lord’s land.

      The only way to make the people the owners of the land would be to privatize ownership of individual parcels, just like the rest of the country. Keeping the land in government ownership is not the same as ownership by the people: It is ownership by the political elites.

      Instead of treating people of native Hawaiian ancestry as permanent victims who are incompetent to own land, we should be treating them like we treat all other competent adults. Distribute Hawaiian Homelands to Hawaiians in fee simple, then let them decide for themselves what to do with their own land. Those who want to create a collective to own the land could do so, those who don’t could sell, live on, ranch, farm, lie fallow, buy from others, as they want.

      Then we can have a chance at changing Us/Them into We/Us.

  30. I have lived in Hawaii for almost 30 years and am active as a gun rights advocate. Most of your article is correct, but there are a few mistakes.

    First, since 2000, the AG has been tasked with providing a report about the number of gun registrations, denials etc. This report also details how many permits, both concealed and open, have been issued in that particular reporting period. Since 2000 there have been a total of 3 concealed carry permits issued. Prior to the reports there were the occasional report of a concealed carry permit being issued, but very few. The interesting tidbit from these yearly reports are that gun purchases have increased each and every year.

    Second, there are no additional fees required after the initial fingerprint fee. Yes, the permit process is cumbersome, and requires multiple trips to the single downtown police station to complete, but there are no more fees involved.

    Hawaii has always had a relatively low crime rate, gun crime in particular. I believe it was work by Clayton Cramer that demonstrated that gun crime actually went up after the first attempts at “gun control” in Hawaii. And, crime is significantly under-reported for fear of adversely affecting the tourist industry.

    As for the registration of all guns, that is correct, but if you look at the gun crime we do have, it is almost always done with an unregistered gun. You are required to register any firearm arriving into Hawaii within 5 days, but many do not and it is impossible to track these guns. I suspect these are the guns being used in crime. I know a former HPD officer who was in charge of their “CSI” for many years and claims that the gun registration has never been used to solve a crime in Hawaii.

    And healthcare professionals can thwart a purchase without stating any reason, just that you shouldn’t own a gun. And, there is no appeal process. You must find another doctor to state, in writing, that you are “no longer adversely affected” and then re-apply for your permit.

    Hawaii’s gun owners are sometimes their worse enemies. The cultural influences tends to prevent or minimize confrontations, which is why it is difficult to rally the necessary numbers of supporters tor change the laws. It is getting better, but we have a long way to go….

  31. You know, it’s kind of funny that for being a gun control paradise, when I visited Oahu there were people on every corner handing out fliers with a decked out AR saying “COME SHOOT REAL GUNS!” They were advertising a couple ranges to entice the horde of Japanese tourists to come shoot, and pump money into the hawaiian economy at the same time. I bet the hawaiian government has no issues with that if it means more cash.

    Hypocrites.

  32. Why hasn’t anyone living in Hawaii, moving there or already moved there ever filed a lawsuit over these obvious constitutional violations, constitutional rights upheld by the supreme court. Are they too afraid or intimidated, my wife wants to move to the big island but I’m saying no because of the gun laws.

  33. I grew up in Hawaii, married a local man and we have two sons. I moved to the mainland 16 years ago. I have a registered handgun and could easily obtain a concealed firearm permit in VA. As a single woman living alone I legally own a firearm for protection. I have never had to use it and feel safer knowing I at least have some protection in the event that I would need it. In the late 80’s crystal meth became an epidemic in Hawaii. Currently family members tell me ice and heroine are easily obtained. Pakalolo (pot) is legal and is used widespread. Now that I’m planning to spend extended time on the Big Island and Oahu I absolutely want to take my firearm with me. I couldn’t protect myself if I was attacked. I always felt safe when I lived there and I don’t expect to have any problems there. For the most part the islands were very safe when I lived there and I never heard of any gun violence but was very aware of physical violence. I would not be able physically to defend myself if I needed to and am trained and comfortable possessing my firearm. It’s distressing to me to see how difficult it is for a trained person, possessing a legal registered handgun would have difficult taking it to Hawaii for an extended 4-6 month stay living alone. I passed a background check, own a registered gun and I’m trained to use it. My hope is that I will never have to use it. I’m not comfortable traveling alone in the United States without it. I’m not sure what hoops I will have to jump through to have a firearm in Hawaii, or if I will have to purchase one there. The Big Island always felt safe. No one I knew locked their doors and left their keys in the ignition in their cars for years without incident. That was 20 years ago and I was quite naive. I wouldn’t consider traveling anywhere alone without some sort of protection. Having said all of the above Hawaii is a wonderful place to live or visit. I would not expect the need to use a firearm but feel it is certainly my right to possess one.

    • Hi Pamela, Bringing a gun to Hawaii isn’t too hard, but you do have to register it as soon as you arrive. Also, be sure you comply with the TSA and airline requirements for shipping it in your luggage. Concealed carry permits from other states are not honored here, and you cannot obtain one here, either. Nor is open carry legal in Paradise.

      For practical purposes the Legislature is on the criminals’ side: They disarm all the victims, and let the violent criminals run free.

      While you could buy a rifle or shotgun here, under federal law you cannot buy a handgun except within your home state. Buying a long gun is a major pain, too, as you have get the county police chief’s permission to exercise your Constitutionally enumerated right.

      It is critically important that you not bring any handgun magazines which hold more than 10 rounds: possession is a misdemeanor, but having one inserted in a handgun is a felony.

    • You have 5 days to register your firearm upon arriving in Hawaii.

      I believe you have to be a resident of Hawaii to purchase a long gun (HRS 134-2)

      There have been only 4 permits to carry issued in 13 years, if the AG’s report is accurate.

    • Pamela I agree, I’ve been away for 12 years and when I left it was a mess it seemed like 1-10 was a meth head you can have your gun at home but it wont do any good if you go somewhere, here in LV I don’t like open carry because who knows what that persons intentions are, once I went to a UPS to send a package and the person behind the counter was carrying and that made me feel uncomfortable, that’s funny because I always carried two handguns all the time but fully concealed I guess if they were visible people would feel paranoid also, but with all the guns out there I’m thinking about carrying again, just to many nuts now days, I don’t like people that open carry they have some kind so serious problem which to me comes off as some sort of bully that wants to intimidate people so they show off … Aloha

  34. Just maybe those gun laws are there to keep the gun nuts out of Hawaii, so we don’t have school shootings or disgruntled employee blowing their co workers away like at the Xerox company on Oahu, and I’m a NRA member which was born on Oahu, the problem with a gun is like Booze, they end up thinking they are King Kong and if they have a gun well it’s like an extra pair of balls between their legs …. You can have one at home to protect yourself that is still legal there but they don’t want a John Wayne running around armed and probably drunk shooting off their big mouth and provokes a confrontation and ends up shooting someone.

    • You sir, are willfully ignorant or purposefully attempting to deceive. In every state that has enacted more permissive concealed carry laws, there have NOT been the type of John Wayne, blood in the streets shoot outs you seem to fear. In most cases crime tends to go down as well.

      And where do the majority of crimes occur? At home? No, away from home, so if you have a right to defend yourself at home with a firearm, why not while out and about?

      I’m bettin’ you’re a troll and certainly not an NRA member or even a gun owner…..

    • I wouldn’t call them Nazis, but the people of Hawaii as a group certainly are deeply committed fascists. They are utterly committed to government deciding who the winners and losers shall be, deeply committed to legislative micromanagement of every economic decision, deeply committed to the collective ruling the individual. We have a culture of control freaks so deeply emotionally committed to political control of every aspect of life that people don’t even see themselves as control freaks, but as people who have not yet achieved nearly enough control over individuals.

  35. I was a 15 year resident of the Big Island. I got into target shooting at our indoor range in Kona. I used to shoot with many of the local cops. Here’s the kicker. You can only transportva firearm to and from a gun range or legal hunting area. I had on several occasions, a cop follow me leaving the range all the way to my driveway to be sure the guns were going home before I went back to work. Thats how restrictive they are there but almost no gun crime. The locals would just as soon use a machete, a big rock or a club. At least its easier to outrun those.

  36. If you want a concealed carry holster that is less “obvious” and less offensive to people that don’t like firearms… I bought an Urban Carry Holsters the other week and I love, you can’t even tell that I’m wearing it

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