All six candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District said they would support legislation that would make it more difficult to obtain, if not ban outright, high-capacity ammunition magazines for semi-automatic weapons.
The discussion on the KHET-TV show "Insights" Thursday night came less than a week after a gunman killed 12 people and injured 58 others in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater. Police recovered a 100-round magazine.
Thursday’s hourlong candidate forum was the last of several televised debates in the 2nd District Democratic primary. The primary election is Aug. 11. The 2nd District’s incumbent, Rep. Mazie Hirono, is running for the Senate seat held by retiring Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii.
Councilwoman Tulsi Gabbard said the gun reform measure introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., should have been passed years ago. "If we’d taken action back then, then perhaps this terrible tragedy which just occurred a few days ago could possibly have been prevented," Gabbard said.
Hawaii is one of the few states that restrict magazine capacity. It outlaws clips magazines that hold more than 10 bullets.
Hilo attorney Bob Marx said he supports limiting magazine capacity on high-powered rifles. "I wouldn’t have any trouble with that," he said, noting however that he is a hunter who owns a shotgun and is a strong believer in gun rights. "I have a respect for the 2nd Amendment. … You have a right to bear arms."
Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann echoed Marx’s comments. "It’s clear that the status quo is clearly unacceptable," Hannemann said. "But you have to find that balance." While the rights of recreational gun users need to be respected, he said, "these tragedies are happening much too frequently."
Longtime congressional aide and political advocate Esther Kia‘aina said "it is regrettable" that the election season has delayed Capitol Hill from dealing with gun control issues. "I hope that they make it a priority when Congress reconvenes in January."
Financial investor Miles Shiratori called Aurora "a real tragedy" and said he cannot see how the gunman was able to accumulate as much firepower as he did. "I don’t know how got a hold of 6,000 rounds," he said. "I believe we should establish a much tougher system."
Rafael Del Castillo, an attorney and health care advocate, said gun owners and the National Rifle Association need to be brought into the discussion if nationwide legislation limiting gun magazine sizes is to pass. "One thing that I found is that gun owners are as much concerned about the problem as anybody."
On Thursday, Hubert Williams, president of the Police Foundation and chairman of the National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence, announced his groups’ support for a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines.
Lautenberg’s proposal to ban high-capacity magazines was first introduced last year after the shooting of then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., in January 2011 but to date has not gained enough support to pass.
Thursday’s debate was the first to include lesser-known candidates Del Castillo and Shiratori.
The 2nd Congressional District covers rural Oahu and the neighbor islands.
