I was browsing around my normal online hangouts when I stumbed across a post called "When did New Jersey become so anti-gun ? The background." I didn't know what to expect being that I know almost nothing about New Jersey's firearm laws other than that they are strict. Well, as I was reading through it, I couldn't help but see the similarities between New Jersey and Hawaii. If you feel so inclined, take the time to read the post.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=636782

In response to the article, someone posted a youtube video summarizing some of the same things that were in the post. Pay particularly close attention to the deviations, permitting system, and carry laws.


Wait? People in NJ can actually get carry permits?!?!?!

Dunno man.  I'd think it would have to be something about those in power being able to subjugate the people down here.  Kind of hard to do that in the mainland, but here it's a much more easily controllable situation.

Nobody can speak up for themselves. They need the government for that.

I was hoping there would be fewer lemings and more stand up types.

Nobody can speak up for themselves. They need the government for that.

 

Hello, I'm the friendly neighborhood historian.

Let's look at the context. Hawaii is NOT the mainland US. It more like a combination of the Ali'i monolithic monarchy that was taken over by a bureaucratic advisory team from pre-WWII Japan for the benefit of some British Empire Ex-pats.

It didn't start with a pro-gun stance the way the fresh-out-from-under-the-English-Boot colonies did. It started with Only the Royalty are Warriors and overlaid that with Even The Samurai Can't Carry Swords Anymore but You Can Play With Bamboo "Swords" if You Want. It was also influenced by the aristicratic English Of Course The Peasants Should Not Be Armed Except When They are Fighting For Me. This was then agreed to by the American Businessman Ex-pat Gee, Can We Really Do That Here?

Add to that a healthy dose of Japanese and British Empire style nepotism - which dovetailed nicely with the Polynesian family and clan priorities - and you have the environment in which the state gun laws were written:

Of course the police need to be armed as it is part of their job. Security guards need to be armed, too, since it is part of their job. The security companies of yore were also fronts for organized crime in Hawaii also tends to be filled by the same families as the police departments. So the police and the ~organized~ criminals are the only ones who have guns. Since both (related) factions are interested in the same thing - stamping out any competing crime - its all good for everyone involved.

Except the rest of us who think the 2nd Amendment applies to us, too.