Last month I had a meeting with Sen Espero at the Capitol. At his previous Gun Control community meeting earlier this year he said anyone was welcome to sit down and talk with him about guns, so I took him up on his offer. I just looked him up in the directory (
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/members/legislators.aspx?chamber=all) and emailed him for a meeting, and his office responded the next day and made an appointment to see him the following day. We talked about our backgrounds and then got into guns. We discussed how I got started, what kind of things I do, and why I shoot guns. We discussed some legislative things like rapbak, CCW, permitting requirements, and other topics.
Everything went well and he was welcoming and seemed interested in what I had to say. I tried to see things from his viewpoint too. I know I didn't outright change his views on guns, but maybe I helped him to see things from a citizens perspective and he'll remember that down the road.
I suggest everyone here do the same and have a meeting with their district's senator and representative, and also others such as Sen Espero that are anti-gun. If everyone on this board did the same then maybe things will slowly change down the road. Most of the Senators and Representatives not in leadership positions are out of session so do not work at the Capitol, but they still respond to emails so ask to meet with them at their Capitol office or somewhere else, or at least talk to them over the phone. Or attend your monthly neighborhood board meeting (
http://www.honolulu.gov/nco/boards.htm) where your Senators and Representatives usually attend.