Hawaii Gun Laws

[billh58]

Because Hawaii has the lowest gun death rate in the nation, it may be helpful to review the reasons behind this notable achievement. Other states would do well to emulate Hawaii's common sense approach to gun control.

Excerpts from Hawaii Gun Laws

All firearms and ammunition must be registered with the chief of police of the county of one’s place of business, one’s residence, or one’s place of sojourn. This includes firearms of any description, whether usable or unusable, serviceable or unserviceable, modern or antique, or ammunition of any type and description.

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Every person arriving in the state is required to register their firearms within three days after arrival of the person or of the firearm, whichever arrives later.

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The possession of all firearms and ammunition is restricted to the possessor’s place of business, residence, or sojourn, but it is lawful to carry firearms and ammunition in an enclosed container or other suitable container from the place of purchase to the purchaser’s home, place of business, or place of sojourn, or between these places when moving, or between these places and a place of repair or a target range. It is unlawful to possess or carry a loaded firearm on any public highway without a permit to carry.

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All permits and licenses may be revoked for good cause by the issuing authority or by the judge of any court. The Attorney General receives a report of all permits and licenses issued.

More at link: http://crime.about.com/od/gunlawsbystate/p/gunlaws_hi.htm

Additional info:

Only 9.7 percent of Hawaii households own guns, compared with 45.6 percent in Louisiana, which topped the nation in per capita gun deaths at 19.5, the center said.

More at link: http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/518624/Report--Hawaii-has-lowest-gun-death-rate.html

[freshwest]

1. That's good news. Problem of enforcing it on the mainland is the geographic difference.

Being an island, or string as Hawaii is, they can pretty much control what goes in and out by sea or air if willing. On the mainland, there are too many points of entry, a larger and more diverse set of opinions.

We're a free travel nation like most, and different states having different laws and the cultures that make those laws, vary a lot. Not only that, even if every state agreed to such, which seem good for the public safety, guns and ammo could still enter into the states that border Canada and Mexico. And then there are miles of coastline for smuggling.

It's going to take a changing of the mindset of Americans to agree to control guns. At this time, the money made has brainwashed generations of citizens on the subject.

This will be a long struggle and we have to fund infrastructure and enforcement in a hostile political environment in many states. I just hope we don't have any more mass murderers, the daily carnage from guns is more than enough.

Good ideas, though.

[billh58]

2. I agree with your

assessment that it will take a "mindset change" in order to fully implement sensible gun control. Hawaii is indeed unique, and I've been here since before statehood in 1959, and feel very lucky to have discovered paradise when I did.

I know several hunters here on Maui, but none of them feel "threatened" about the government taking away their guns, or anything else for that matter. They also don't see a need to carry their guns in public, as our police force is very visible and active.

Hopefully someday the Mainland will become more civilized, but until that time I stand by the old local motto: "Lucky live Hawaii..."