Letter for Monday, July 10, 2023

Sensible legislation

Dear editor,

I support Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green’s signing of controversial Senate Bill 1230 on June 2, “making it illegal to carry firearms in ‘sensitive places’ including government buildings, hospitals, restaurants and bars that serve alcohol, plus stadiums, movie theaters, concert halls … colleges (reports KITV4),” banks and beaches.

On July 2, “30 injured, 2 fatally, in Baltimore mass shooting: ‘It was a war zone,’” reports ABC News. As of May 1, more than 13,900 people have been killed by guns so far in 2023, and “There have been 131 mass shootings with four or more people wounded or killed so far in 2023 compared to 113 this time last year,” reports ABC News.

The Harvard Injury Control Research Center reports a “review of the academic literature found that a broad array of evidence indicates that gun availability is a risk factor for homicide … where there are more guns, both men and women are at a higher risk for homicide, particularly firearm homicide.”

As a retired school teacher, I feel kids should be educated on how the USA can legally repeal the Second Amendment especially to eliminate school homicides with automatic weapons.

Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens called for a repeal of the Second Amendment in a New York Times op-ed, and he urged demonstrators pressing for gun control to do the same. Gun violence is escalating, and repealing the Second Amendment is the most democratic and intelligent solution.

Some in Hawai‘i want a permit to carry a concealed weapon to the bank to protect themselves, reports The Garden Island, but clearly this escalates the risk of confrontation and subsequent gun violence.

“Japan, which has strict laws for obtaining firearms, seldom has more than 10 shooting deaths a year in a population of 127 million people. If Japanese people want to own a gun, they must attend an all-day class, pass a written test…Then they have to pass a mental-health evaluation at a hospital, as well as a background check, in which the government digs into any criminal records or ties and interviews friends and family members.

“Finally, they can buy only shotguns and air rifles — no handguns — and must retake the class and the initial exam every three years,” reports Independent News.

Therefore, Hawai‘i’s SB 1230 is a crucial step in the right direction to reduce the risk of homicides on Kaua‘i and in schools.

Will M. Davis, Lihu‘e