Firearms group opposes appeal

The Hawaii Firearms Coalition is opposing a petition filed by the state and Hawaii County asking a federal appeals court to reconsider a recent ruling that the Second Amendment protects the right to openly carry a gun in public.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in July ruled that Hawaii officials had violated the Second Amendment rights of a Hilo man after he was denied a permit to openly carry a loaded gun in public. The man filed a lawsuit against the state and the Hawaii Police Department.

The decision — widely hailed by open carry advocates as a crucial victory in the national debate over gun control — reversed a lower court ruling, could potentially overturn the state’s current gun control laws and carries wider implications for firearm regulations across the country.

But the circuit court’s opinion is not the final word.

The state and county filed a petition in September for a rehearing on the grounds that the court’s decision “rests on a fundamental misunderstanding of Hawaii Law.”

The Hawaii Firearms Coalition, a nonprofit gun rights organization, filed a brief with the court opposing the appeal, according to a press release issued Monday, describing the state’s current firearm carry statute a law that “removes the ability of the individual to have adequate means of self-defense.”

“Hawaii Island’s vast rural land mass creates areas that are potentially dangerous. Many areas are inadequately policed leaving one’s safety and their family’s safety up to the individual. In some areas of the state, including Hawaii Island, police response times are measured in hours not minutes,” the press release said.

“Reversal of the panel opinion will unconstitutionally deprive Hawaii citizens of the right to adequately defend themselves, their family, and their property.”