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Archive for the ‘Gun Rights / Second Amendment’ Category

On November 15th, 2011 our congress passed S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act Fiscal Year 2012. This bill is now law even though (in my opinion) violates our constitutional rights. What is this bill you ask? This is a bill that has been passed every year by our congress for almost 50 years. The original bill was designed to allow our government using our military to capture and indefinitely detain anyone they deem a terrorist or any threat to the US and the government. With the exception of US citizens. Because of our constitutional rights we have to be exempted from this. However, this year this bill now allows for the military to capture and indefinitely detain American citizens without charge or trial. This means that if you are a conservative and we have a socialist government the military can come pick you up and take you away. Never to be heard from again. Sound familiar? Does this sound like communist Russia, China, Iran (and many others)?

I am now risking my life by writing this. Yes I am paranoid. While it may not happen in my lifetime I believe it will at least begin in my lifetime. The gun grabbing is next by the way. And if you think I am crazy then explain why the day after this bill became law that KBR, Inc. (formerly Kellogg Brown & Root) sent out a document to various entities regarding the establishment of a  National Quick Response Team for their current contracts with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as well as for “anticipated future contracts.”

The nature of this quick response team is highly unusual given that it is built around a 72 hour period for initial setup and 24 hours for incremental services, meaning that the contractors would have to set up equipment within 72 hours and be operational within 24. Most of this does not need to be done this quickly as we usually have plenty of warning before a disaster.

These contracts are designed to set up internment camps inside the US. Why do we need these camps? For emergencies of course. But the timing is very suspect to me. I believe that these letters were held until the bill became law because they are designed to go together. I believe our government is preparing for civil unrest on a large scale.

Where are the news agencies reporting this? This should be front page news. I encourage everyone to look this stuff up for yourself and see how bad this new law is and decide for yourself why our government needs to do these things. Am I paranoid? You be the judge. I welcome your comments.

For Immediate Release: 8/23/2011
Honolulu, HI – The Hawaii Defense Foundation’s founding director and president, Christopher Baker, has filed a lawsuit against Honolulu Chief of Police Louis Kealoha, the Honolulu Police Department, the City and County of Honolulu, the State of Hawaii, and Governor Neil Abercrombie in connection with civil rights violations of the Second and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.

The complaint filed in the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii by attorneys Richard Holcomb, Alan Beck, and Kevin O’Grady alleges that Hawaii’s license to carry statute and various other firearm regulations are unconstitutional. State law mandates that citizens may be provided licenses to carry only in “exceptional circumstance” or “where a need or urgency has been sufficiently indicated,” all at the discretion of the county’s Chief of Police. The complaint asserts that this language violates the Second Amendment, which secures the right of all responsible, law-abiding citizens to bear arms for the purpose of self-defense. Additionally, the complaint also addresses the use of non-lethal tools for self-defense such as electric guns, which are banned in in Hawaii.
“The Second Amendment protects the right to self-defense. Everyday around the islands good people are robbed, assaulted, raped, or in the worst cases murdered. It’s simply a matter of physics, the Police can’t be everywhere to stop criminals from committing violent acts. We must be allowed to carry the tools that give us a chance to protect ourselves from harm,” says Chris Baker. “We want criminals to have to think about the consequences of attacking someone,” he continued, “but right now, nothing serves as a deterrent to them – the odds are in their favor.”
Hawaii Defense Foundation (www.TheHDF.org) is a domestic not-for-profit corporation based in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Foundation serves the community by providing various services, such as: legal defense of civil rights, educational courses on firearm safety, self-defense training, and life saving techniques – such as first aid and CPR. The Foundation has many supporters and members across the State of Hawaii.

If you would like to show your support or are looking for additional information please contact the Foundation’s Secretary, Erica Castillo, at (808) 664-1827 or info(at)hawaiidefensefoundation.org.
 
A copy of the press release is here:
http://www.hawaiidefensefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Lawsuit-Press-Release.pdf
CV11-00513SOM-RLP

Good day all you Ka’u Bloggers. I thought this information should be up for discussion. Recently, Wednesday, December 15, 2010 there was a meeting for all hunters at the Punaluu Pavillion. Apparently, the hunters have asked District 6, Councilperson Brittany Smart to help them open all the closed/limbo roads in Ka’u for the hunters to hunt. She, I guess, from the information of the hunters, has agreed to do this. That means all the roads above Pahala that align private properties will be open for hunting and whatever the people want to do. It was mentioned that “We have gathering rights”. Now, if you want land from the Dept. of Hawaiian Homelands you have to be 50% or more Hawaiian. And to have your children inherit that said land they have to be 25% Hawaiian. You can contact the DHHL at 808-620-9590 to get this info.

Taking a look around, it was not obvious that the crowd consisted of half or full-blooded Hawaiians. One hunter said “I cannot support this group, it doesn’t make sense to open roads that you cannot shoot from or across. The road might be public, but the land the animal runs onto is not. Plus, you have to have written permission to enter private land by the land owners. It’s not worth getting caught on someone’s private land because the fines you can get will buy a lot of meat.” What do all of you think?

Please see below Media Release:

Hawai’i Police Department
South Kohala District
Community Police Officer Paul Bugado
Phone: 887-3080
November 24, 2010

Media Release

The Hawai’i Police Department is reminding Big Island residents that hiking, hunting and other activities on private property without written permission are considered trespassing and are against the law.

Farmers and ranchers suffer from trespassing activities, including littering, theft to crops and livestock, damaged fences and gates, and the disruption of livestock and farming operations. These illegal activities cause damage to infrastructure and disrupt farm and ranch business.

Trespassing on private property is prohibited under state law and is punishable by fines, incarceration or both. The following are Class C felonies, which can lead to fines and up to five years in prison:

Criminal property damage to agricultural equipment, supplies or agriculture
Theft of agricultural equipment, supplies and livestock (including horses, cattle, pigs, sheep and goats)

For full details, go to https://local.nixle.com/alert/4150008/?sub_id=249227.

The following is my opinion only and is not based on any facts or information from any source:

Why is it important that all of us who are qualified apply for a Concealed Carry Permit? I believe that the Hawaii Rifle Association is asking us to do this to support their effort to get the State of Hawaii and the Counties to begin issuing permits. But why? I believe what is happening here is due to the recent rulings by the Supreme Court. With their rulings supporting our Second Amendment rights we need to force our Hawaii governments to do their jobs and start issuing permits. The laws to issue permits are already in place. We just need to force them to start issuing permits which is our right.

I believe the HRA has been in contact with the National Rifle Association (NRA) and has asked for their help. The NRA has the lawyers, resources and money to fight our state and local governments and force them to start enforcing the existing laws and start issuing permits to law abiding, responsible and appropriately trained citizens. I believe the NRA has told the HRA that they need to see a certain amount of permit applications and denials before they can help. Which is why the HRA is asking for all of us to apply for a permit. I believe in the next few years you will see the NRA come in and help support our Second Amendment Rights and take the State of Hawaii to court.

I believe in the Second Amendment. I believe that the Second Amendment protects all of our other constitutional rights. For those of us who have property in Ka’u and live in Ka’u, most of us own guns and we use guns in our daily lives. Even if it only means keeping a gun by our beds to protect our family, property and pets/animals. Some carry firearms on their property. But when we go into town to have a nice meal with our family or to go shopping we also have the right to carry a firearm for self defense. With all of the problems with ICE, public intoxication and all other criminals on this island we deserve to exercise our right to defend ourselves and our family. Especially considering the time it takes for the police to respond is 2 to 3 times longer than the actual time it takes for a perpetrator to commit their crime, we need to be able to defend ourselves when necessary.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to advocate that we allow a bunch of untrained citizens carry guns around town. What I feel is necessary is that we just enforce the laws we already have on the books. The State of Hawaii has already put forth the requirements that is takes to receive a Concealed Carry Permit. The laws already set forth require that every citizen who applies for a Concealed Carry Permit has a certain level of gun safety training and a thorough background check. If we don’t have the ability to defend our rights as U.S. citizens we could lose our freedoms. This includes our future generation’s freedom. If we don’t have the ability to defend ourselves we could lose our lives. And if we are not able to defend ourselves we cannot defend our families.

The FBI publishes crime statistics every year. And in every state where citizens are allowed to carry concealed weapons for self defense, gun related crime has gone down significantly. Therefore it has been proven that citizens carrying guns for self defense also is a deterrent to gun related crimes. It is also interesting to note that in Washington D.C and Chicago where gun laws are the strongest and guns are banned, gun related crime was at an all time high. It will be interesting to see the crime statistics in these places in the next few years as the citizens begin to carry guns for self defense and re-arm themselves.

Let’s all support the HRA and apply for a Concealed Carry Permit.

I welcome your comments and opinions.

I have reprinted this article in its entirety:

“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” This quote of the Second Amendment, until recent times, had little meaning to many states within the United States. That is until a legal case, challenging the handgun ban in the District of Columbia, was brought to the Supreme Court of the United States.

In 2008, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Heller v. District of Columbia that the possession of a firearm, for the purpose of self-defense, was an individual right found within the Second Amendment to the U.S. constitution. Following Heller, on June 28^th, 2010, the Supreme Court decided on another case which challenged the Chicago gun ban; this ban was also ruled unconstitutional, and the decision affirmed that the Second Amendment applies to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment. The right to keep and bear arms was also determined to be a fundamental constitutional right, putting it on par with the freedom of speech and religion. Therefore, citizens of our state should be authorized to exercise this right, safely and responsibly in all non-sensitive places.

The City and County of Honolulu have consistently restricted and continue to burden the right to keep and bear arms, especially in non-sensitive public places. For a timeline exceeding fifteen years, no citizen has been allowed to carry a firearm to defend themselves or their family.   Many citizens have fallen victim to this violation of their constitutional rights, some paying the ultimate price.

Additionally, many believe that Hawaii businesses are afforded more protection than most citizens. By carrying a loaded and openly displayed firearm, many banks and other business are authorized to protect their assets out in public. These assets are commonly serialized and documented ensuring that they can be replaced and tracked. Most of the time these assets are also insured by either government agencies or private companies — protecting the company from any real loss;  yet they are still authorized to carry weapons, because it deters criminals. Your children and family, however, are not serialized;  your children and family are not insured by the government, nor can your child, family member, or friend be replaced.

Lastly, in an effort to change these broken laws, a local group, Hawaii Concealed Carry, was formed in 2010 to promote the safe and responsible bearing of firearms, for the purpose of self-defense. They are based on Oahu, and are working to assist all Hawaiian islands in the restoration and exercise of their fundamental right to keep and bear arms. Hawaii residents are encouraged to exercise their fundamental right by applying to their local City and County Police departments for a permit to carry a firearm, openly or concealed, for the purpose of protecting yourself and your family.

Information on applying for your Hawaii concealed or open carry permit can be found at www.hawaiiccw.com.

All downloads are available here:    Concealed Carry Guide (PDF) Concealed Carry Guide (Word.doc)

Aloha,

Christopher Baker

www.hawaiiccw.com