Hawaii Gun Bills Target Ammo, High-Powered Weapons, Mental Health

[ellisonz]

By Sara Lin 01/25/2013

UPDATED 1/25/12 12:40 p.m.

A renewed gun-control debate is sweeping the country — and Hawaii is no exception.

Lawmakers here have introduced at least six gun-control bills. The proposals include an assault weapons ban, stricter regulation of ammunitions sales, a gun buy-back program and a prohibition on gun possession by persons with mental health issues, among others.

And there's a good chance many of the bills will advance: their sponsors are in leadership positions in the House and Senate and many of the proposals mirror parts of President Barack Obama's own plan to reduce gun violence. The deadline for measures to be filed with the Hawaii Legislature was Thursday at midnight.

More: http://www.civilbeat.com/articles/2013/01/25/18166-hawaii-gun-bills-target-ammo-high-powered-weapons-mental-health/

There's a list of the bills with details at the link. Go gun-control!

[krispos42]

1. More War on Pistol Grips, eh?

*shakes head*

[ellisonz]

2. There's another one to authorize open-carry - that's DOA.

Don't be surprised - despite our military contingent - people in Hawaii aren't blind to the harm the gun nuttiness causes

[krispos42]

4. Yeah, because people lawfully carrying in the open is why 44 people a day are murdered.

I don't think open carry is a good idea, simply for practical reasons.

[ellisonz]

5. 44 people a day are murdered in no small part because open-carry types oppose sensible reforms...

....like the President's proposals.

[krispos42]

6. A war on pistol grips is not reasonable or sensible.

Some of his other things are sensible. I object in principle to a magazine limit, but I suppose I could go along with, say, a 15 or 20 round limit. It won't change anything, but you seem to think it will, so I'll give you a decade to realize it and repent.

I mean, the 10-round ban from the previous AWB should have proven that to you, but I guess some articles of faith die hard.



Sensible things are also off the table, like legalizing pot, or universal single payer physical and mental health insurance.

[ellisonz]

7. The problem with the previous AWB was that the gun companies just circumvented.

You don't get it - the majority of Americans are sick of the NRA agenda.

Sensible things are also off the table, like legalizing pot, or universal single payer physical and mental health insurance.

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/20629062/bill-to-legalize-marijuana-introduced-in-legislature

Hawaii has among the lowest rate of health insurance and employers pay the premium for basic health insurance for those who work more than 18 hours a week:

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-07-27-hawaii-insurance_N.htm

And those plans cover mental health insurance treatment along with alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse.

Hawaii being one of the bluest states is among the most progressive states.

There won't be blowback for pissing off the gun lobby in Hawaii because they don't do big business in Hawaii!

BTW - High capacity magazines are banned already in Hawaii: http://www.bradycampaign.org/stategunlaws/scorecard/HI/

It's practically a socialist paradise.

[krispos42]

8. The gun companies made guns that were within the law.

Semiautomatics were legal, and protruding pistol grips were legal. You can call that "circumvention" if you want.

[ellisonz]

9. And I most certainly will

Those Death Spewers are to Assault Rifles as Bath Salts are to Meth

[krispos42]

10. If you want to ban semi-automatic, then ban semi-automatics.

But if you keep semi-automatics with pistol grips legal, then don't complain and bitch and whine when gun makers make semi-automatic with pistol grips.

And if you keep semi-autos without pistol grips legal, then don't complain and bitch and whine when gun makers make semi-autos without pistol grips.

You side is choosing to not to try a blanket ban on semi-autos. Remember that.

[ellisonz]

11. Because we're settling for making your death spewers less available and attractive

What odds do you think a "blanket ban on semi-autos" actually has in any state?

[krispos42]

12. And resulting in more of them being sold?

The law of unintended consequences keeps biting you in the butt, yanno.


And why not try a blanket ban on all semi-auto long guns? Rifles and shotguns, to be clear. Surely, if the country is so set against the NRA's agenda, then maybe you can get one passed in a really blue state, like New York or New Jersey or Massachusetts. I would be on New York; there is no state preemption of local gun laws, so I can't see why NY City and the surrounding counties couldn't implement such a blanket ban.

I mean, you already have the "assault weapon" meme going well for your side. You, personally, interchange "assault weapon" and "assault rifle" regularly. So your side can just say you're going for an "assault weapon" ban, and in the legislation have the definition of "assault weapon" to be "all semiautomatic long guns".

You can call it the "strictest assault weapon ban in the country", and you can, again, rely on the oligarch-owned media to not inform the public about the difference between a rifle, a rifle that's a semi-automatic, and a rifle that can be classified as an "assault weapon". I'm sure the NY Post would be happy to call all semi-automatic long guns "assault weapons" for your side.

Try it. And try again and again and again. It's how the NRA gets its victories, right?

[ellisonz]

13. Wouldn't be sold if your people hadn't allowed the ban to expire...

...and now if you wouldn't oppose its reinstatement.

The fact is that the NRA just does not care how many people suffer for its agenda.

[krispos42]

14. I'm talking about guns that were sold during the ban

All of a sudden, interest in semiautomatic rifles with pistol grips went up precisely because of all the publicity generated by the previous ban. Okay, so they didn't have flash suppressors or bayonet lugs.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. My home state was already about as regressive as you could get...