There are a number of bills introduced in the state Legislature this year that threaten the Second Amendment rights of all of Hawaii’s citizens who wish to exercise their right to bear arms.
One bill is particularly disturbing — Senate Bill 1372 creates a “big net,” which attempts to catch a broad list of industries and individuals who pose no threat to nation, state, community, or individual safety or security.
Of great concern is the effect the bill will have on individual gun owners who participate in the recreational activity of “reloading ammunition.” As an individual who participates in this sport, this bill would subject me and thousands of others who participate, to the extreme and unnecessary burden of obtaining a permit. The bill also allows invasion of privacy and initiates the “slippery slope” of innocent residents becoming felons simply because they may forget to report their inventory quarterly.
A second problem with this bill imposes itself on the safety classes conducted by LIFE, a non-profit organization made up of NRA certified firearms instructors who volunteer their time to provide safety classes designed to meet current law regarding the acquisition of firearms. The goal of LIFE is to teach the basic skills and shape the attitudes necessary for owning and using a firearm safely, but classes includes “live fire.” As a result, I’d be required to provide commercially manufactured ammunition to my students and all students who are exploring the possibility of acquiring firearms must obtain a permit prior to participating in class.
This legislation could work if the language in the bill was changed to either modify the definition of “explosive” to exclude small arms ammunition and components (gun powder is physically and chemically defined as a propellant, not an explosive), or SS396-9 (h) modified to also exempt individuals who purchase or use commercially manufactured small arms ammunition or components for sporting or recreational use.
However, as this bill stands now, it dictates an extreme and inappropriate penalty for law-abiding citizens who only desire to exercise their constitutional rights under the Second Amendment, with no risk or threat to others.
”’Mr. Mark Plischke is the president of Lessons in Firearms Education, a non-profit organization made up of NRA certified firearms instructors who volunteer their time to provide safety classes designed to meet current law regarding the acquisition of firearms. Mr. Plischke can be reached at PO Box 25271, Honolulu, HI 96825, (808) 396-LIFE”’