”’Editor’s note: Two bills that would allow concealed carry and open carry of a firearm in Hawaii were deferred and held in the state Senate last week. Hawaii has a may issue law, which allows police chiefs of the state’s four counties, total power to decide who gets a permit to carry and who does not. In the last 15 years, police testified at a recent hearing that no one has been granted a permit allowing them to carry a firearm – not domestic violence victims, not those whose life has been threatened, not even retired police officers. Lawmakers say they don’t have any plans to change the law this year so that the chiefs would have to issue a permit unless the applicant is not mentally competent or has a criminal record. A total of 38 states allow their citizens to carry a firearm for protection.”’
I am a Federal Police Officer, a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Boarding Team Member with a Tactical Counter-Terrorism Unit, a Self-defense and Firearms Instructor, a Use of Force and Deadly Force Instructor, a Chaminade University Criminal Justice Graduate Student, and a local born resident of Honolulu, Hawaii … yet it is illegal for me to carry a concealed firearm in Hawaii.
As a trained law-abiding citizen, I believe that I can confidently protect myself and others if and when imminent deadly force situations arise that requires immediate deadly force response (better than many local police officers with only high school diplomas and minimal firearms training).
I support a bill that allows concealed carry of firearms for law-abiding and trained citizens that have no criminal record, no history of psychological problems, and no history of domestic violence. Training must consist of safe weapons handling and security, and Use of Force and Deadly Force justifications.
With the problem of the ever-rising use of the illegal drug Crystal Meth or”ICE” and increasing violent criminal activity throughout Hawaii, it’s about time that the State of Hawaii allows its people to defend themselves immediately when criminals attempt to violently hurt them and those they love.
Hawaii law prevents law-abiding citizens from carrying self-defense weapons, yet criminals are not deterred in carrying guns and knives, which are obtained through the black market and other criminal means, to commit crimes easier and effectively.
Why should law-abiding citizens be intimidated, afraid, and left with the only choice of “turn and run” while carrying our children or worrying if our elders can keep up?
We should make criminals think twice before committing armed and unarmed robbery, rape, home invasions, burglaries, car-jacking incidents, aggravated assaults, and murder of innocent law-abiding citizens.
”’Jeffrey Domingcil is a Police/ Security Training Sergeant for the Navy Region Security Hawaii- Training Division Pearl Harbor )and a law-abiding citizen of the United States.) Reach him via email at mailto:jeffd010@verizon.net”’