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Hawaiians Realizing Benefits of Firearms Ownership PDF Print E-mail
Written by Daniel White   
Tuesday, 27 September 2005

Hawaiians are realizing more than ever before that they are not immune to the issues affecting the rest of the country and are taking steps to protect themselves.

MSNBC is reporting that Honolulu alone issued more than 10,000 gun permits last year, and over 7,400 this year, in a state in which it is traditionally very difficult to obtain government permission to own a firearm.
"We're on a record-setting pace," said Richard Brink of the firearms section in the Records Division of the Honolulu Police Department.

"We've seen about a 20 percent increase in sales since Katrina and had a lot of people inquiring about what it takes to get a gun," said Brian Takaba, a salesman at Magnum Firearms in Kakaako.

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Despite the difficulty in obtaining a permit and the high cost of firearms in the state, law abiding citizens with a desire to be able to protect themselves in an emergency are driving them to jump through the (unnecessary) hoops and pay the high prices.
"The gun business thrives on disasters. Every time something bad happens, gun sales go up," said Takaba.
Natural and man-made disasters highlight the fact that when the chips are down, you really are all on your own. The police cannot always be there, and if you don't take steps to provide for your own well-being, you risk the chance of becoming prey for those who have no qualms about using weapons to victimize their fellow man.

Unfortunately in Hawaii, that ability to defend yourself and your family largely ends at your front door.
Police are quick to point out that there is a big difference between a permit to own a gun and a license to carry one. Unlike many other states, getting a "carry permit" in Hawaii is extremely difficult and they are rarely issued to individuals.

Perhaps recent events will spur our Hawaiian counterparts to fight for their rights and change their state from May to Shall Issue. Only then will they fully realize the right to remain secure and unmolested in their daily lives.