i am willing to bet she leans anti, but at least she is listening (or pretends to be listening)




Aloha Steve,
 
Thank you for your email regarding gun control. There is much to consider in deciding how to proceed on this issue, as there are strong arguments both for and against stricter gun control.
 
The recent mass shootings that have devastated our country have sparked a movement to enact some type of ban on assault weapons and high volume magazines. However, I am very cognizant that a majority of gun owners are responsible people who enjoy using firearms for sport.
 
On the other hand, while Hawaii already has some of the strictest gun control and registration laws in the nation, I do think we need to find a way to balance the interests of public safety and those of responsible gun owners while not violating 2nd Amendment Rights.
 
Mahalo,
 
Senator Donna Mercado Kim
Senate President

I got the same reply... 

What I sent back...

I am sorry,

but I have to respectfully disagree with your premise that there is a need to balance a thing, when talking about 2nd amendment rights.  The only balance the the true public needs to weigh against is the balance of power between the criminal and the law abiding citizen.  Right now, as the law stands, there is an imbalance, this imbalance favors criminals.  Proof in this lies in the ever increasing crime rate.  Violent crime in particular.  The everyday working person has the definite disadvantage.  By infringing on the rights and responsibilities of the citizen, in this, is what is causing these problems today.  The recent tragedies would not, and future events will not be prevented, by further infringement of our guaranteed 2nd amendment rights.  There is a percieved 'movement' of the general public wanting more gun control.  I believe this is a farce.  A majority of Americans believe, rightly so, that it is a personal responsibility to ensure their own safety, and that of their families.  HPD, while doing a great service to the public, is not, and cannot be held liable to ensure the safety of each and every citizen.    Proof in this lies in the explosion of new gun owners and purchases.  This can be plainly seen at the HPD registration desk, in which there is an ever increasing line that people are willing to stand their precious time in, to insure that their rights and responsibilities are not removed from them.

Therefore, I ask again that you DO NOT continue to push these gun control and confiscation laws forward.  This not only will weaken the publics ability to defend their rights, it will enable the criminals to run an even freer reign than they already enjoy.

so i guess it was a form letter


thanks for writing what you did in response
i am still trying to figure out what to say

I got the same reply... 

What I sent back...

I am sorry,

but I have to respectfully disagree with your premise that there is a need to balance a thing, when talking about 2nd amendment rights.  The only balance the the true public needs to weigh against is the balance of power between the criminal and the law abiding citizen.  Right now, as the law stands, there is an imbalance, this imbalance favors criminals.  Proof in this lies in the ever increasing crime rate.  Violent crime in particular.  The everyday working person has the definite disadvantage.  By infringing on the rights and responsibilities of the citizen, in this, is what is causing these problems today.  The recent tragedies would not, and future events will not be prevented, by further infringement of our guaranteed 2nd amendment rights.  There is a percieved 'movement' of the general public wanting more gun control.  I believe this is a farce.  A majority of Americans believe, rightly so, that it is a personal responsibility to ensure their own safety, and that of their families.  HPD, while doing a great service to the public, is not, and cannot be held liable to ensure the safety of each and every citizen.    Proof in this lies in the explosion of new gun owners and purchases.  This can be plainly seen at the HPD registration desk, in which there is an ever increasing line that people are willing to stand their precious time in, to insure that their rights and responsibilities are not removed from them.

Therefore, I ask again that you DO NOT continue to push these gun control and confiscation laws forward.  This not only will weaken the publics ability to defend their rights, it will enable the criminals to run an even freer reign than they already enjoy.

Well thought out reply, heavies.

My senator assured me that no one is trying to take away my second ammendment rights.  Not sure what to make of that.

I got the same reply... 

What I sent back...

I am sorry,

but I have to respectfully disagree with your premise that there is a need to balance a thing, when talking about 2nd amendment rights.  The only balance the the true public needs to weigh against is the balance of power between the criminal and the law abiding citizen.  Right now, as the law stands, there is an imbalance, this imbalance favors criminals.  Proof in this lies in the ever increasing crime rate.  Violent crime in particular.  The everyday working person has the definite disadvantage.  By infringing on the rights and responsibilities of the citizen, in this, is what is causing these problems today.  The recent tragedies would not, and future events will not be prevented, by further infringement of our guaranteed 2nd amendment rights.  There is a percieved 'movement' of the general public wanting more gun control.  I believe this is a farce.  A majority of Americans believe, rightly so, that it is a personal responsibility to ensure their own safety, and that of their families.  HPD, while doing a great service to the public, is not, and cannot be held liable to ensure the safety of each and every citizen.    Proof in this lies in the explosion of new gun owners and purchases.  This can be plainly seen at the HPD registration desk, in which there is an ever increasing line that people are willing to stand their precious time in, to insure that their rights and responsibilities are not removed from them.

Therefore, I ask again that you DO NOT continue to push these gun control and confiscation laws forward.  This not only will weaken the publics ability to defend their rights, it will enable the criminals to run an even freer reign than they already enjoy.

but crime is decreasing

oh well, either way, you can frame it positively.

My senator assured me that no one is trying to take away my second ammendment rights.  Not sure what to make of that.

That's the same story from Obama all the way down. Problem is all the anti-gun politicians think that as long as the general public is allowed to own the firearms and magazines they "deem" appropriate for sporting, hunting, competition, etc, and adequate for personal/home defense, that AWBs and more firearm restrictions don't infringe on our 2a rights. That's the whole problem in a nutshell...we firmly assert that "any" further firearm restrictions are unconstitutional and do in fact infringe on our 2a rights, while they contend just the opposite.

That's the same story from Obama all the way down. Problem is all the anti-gun politicians think that as long as the general public is allowed to own the firearms and magazines they "deem" appropriate for sporting, hunting, competition, etc, and adequate for personal/home defense, that AWBs and more firearm restrictions don't infringe on our 2a rights. That's the whole problem in a nutshell...we firmly assert that "any" further firearm restrictions are unconstitutional and do in fact infringe on our 2a rights, while they contend just the opposite.

I agree.  I don't know this senator personally so I don't know if it is just his canned response or if it was a nice way of giving me the reach around....er I mean run around.  In any case, I give him credit for at least responding.

but crime is decreasing

oh well, either way, you can frame it positively.

I think it is decreasing in states that are free, and over all statistic show a decrease.  What could it be attributed to? don't know.   Hawaii's violent crime rate has been slowly increasing.  The news reports more and more heinous crimes in the past years, don't know if the exact numbers equate an increase, however, the heinousness and audacity of the crimes have definitely gotten worse.  This is not tracked by any statistics. 

City of Chicago has had almost 50 murders in this month alone.  They also have some of the strictest gun laws.  not saying that it is related... just saying.

I think it is decreasing in states that are free, and over all statistic show a decrease.  What could it be attributed to? don't know.   Hawaii's violent crime rate has been slowly increasing.  The news reports more and more heinous crimes in the past years, don't know if the exact numbers equate an increase, however, the heinousness and audacity of the crimes have definitely gotten worse.  This is not tracked by any statistics. 

City of Chicago has had almost 50 murders in this month alone.  They also have some of the strictest gun laws.  not saying that it is related... just saying.

the murder rate has either dropped or stayed stagnant in hawaii.  the "heinousness and audacity" of crimes is both subjective, and partly a product of how it is reported. 

it doesnt matter how someone was victimized, only that they were victimized. 

i just think if someone decided to research ¥our claim (they wont), you'd look wrong.  whereas if you took the other approach, you still could have argued in support of your views, but then you'd have solid evidence to back it up.

the murder rate has either dropped or stayed stagnant in hawaii.  the "heinousness and audacity" of crimes is both subjective, and partly a product of how it is reported. 

it doesnt matter how someone was victimized, only that they were victimized. 

i just think if someone decided to research ¥our claim (they wont), you'd look wrong.  whereas if you took the other approach, you still could have argued in support of your views, but then you'd have solid evidence to back it up.

Ok I have your point, however, I think that i does matter how a person is victimized.

My senator assured me that no one is trying to take away my second ammendment rights.  Not sure what to make of that.

At least you got some sort of reply.  The democrats "representing" me ignored my various letters.

Guess that says where they stand, and it is not to represent their constituents, or even to bother communicating with them if they do not like the question..

I despise democrats........

At least you got some sort of reply.  The democrats "representing" me ignored my various letters.

Guess that says where they stand, and it is not to represent their constituents, or even to bother communicating with them if they do not like the question..

I despise democrats........

I appreciated him responding but I informed him that SB219 is an attempt to take away my 2nd ammendment rights, for the record.

I agree.  I don't know this senator personally so I don't know if it is just his canned response or if it was a nice way of giving me the reach around....er I mean run around.  In any case, I give him credit for at least responding.

Most have staffers write responses, give it a quick look, then approve.

I sent the following to Senator Kim:

--------------------------------------------
Dear Ms. Kim,

In view of the current spate of gun control bills in the house and senate I would like to share with you some excerpts from a study published in the Harvard Law Review,

This study may be found at:  http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/jlpp/Vol30_No2_KatesMauseronline.pdf 

It is a very thorough analyses of the relationship between gun ownership and violent crime, and well worth taking the time to read.

"...two recent studies are pertinent. In 2004,
the U.S. National Academy of Sciences released its evaluation
from a review of 253 journal articles, 99 books, 43 government
publications, and some original empirical research. It failed to
identify any gun control that had reduced violent crime, suicide,
or gun accidents.15 The same conclusion was reached in
2003 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s review of then extant
studies."

"...the earliest data (nineteenth
century on) reveals that the American jurisdictions with the most stringent gun controls
are in general the ones with the highest murder rates. Conversely, American
states with homicide rates as low as Western Europe’s have high gun ownership,
and impose no controls designed to deny guns to law‐abiding, responsible adults.
Many possible reasons may be offered for these two facts, but none suggests that
gun control reduces murder."


Sincerely,
  Edward Abbot
------------------------------

Awaiting a reply.

I got the same form letter from her. 

Boy out of all the postings I read today from their Electeed Reps this is the worst.  This woman does not even take a side.