Just some questions to those in the know of such things:
1. Seems like HIFICO's site is back ready to do business - including accepting memberships again - is this correct? The reason I ask is that I used the webpage a few years ago to join and pay - but it immediately went dark, and I never received any acknowledgements or updates - it's like it never happened. I want to again, but just what to check to make sure HIFICO and the site are fully resourced to do such things.
2. I saw HIFICO's open letter to merchants on fakebook, and wanted to say I thought it was very well done - especially in reference to the legions of gun owners in Hawaii. There are more guns in Hawaii than people - by far, and merchants should damn well know it. Has anyone approached the Retail Merchants of Hawaii to participate in their security meetings to educate them that putting up the sign does the EXACT OPPOSITE of promoting safety? They are attempting to deliberately exclude the most law-abiding (HPD verified!) citizens the state has to offer, in favor of encouraging criminals to enter their newly minted free-fire zones - THAT is the reality. The rhetoric and paradigm being lathered onto merchants in this process is 100% inverse and mental - it needs to be myth-busted hard.
3. I fully agree with and support the approach that we need to exhaust education and customer communication and pressure first, but there absolutely MUST be multiple liability fronts a business faces in going to war with the Bill of Rights protections of their customers. I've suggested one elsewhere here, and saw many better ones on fakebook, etc. Just asking for confirmation: Is HIFICO etc. exploring? We are of course on islands, and the local Khmer Rouge bets the farm on their ability terrorize every square inch of them.
Many thanks in advance for any knowledgable responses that are forthcoming.
I'm sure a great many have the same or similar questions.