Surfboards and Halberds? Hawaii Loosens Weapons Laws
Hawaii's tourist hotspot of Waikiki is known for bikinis, shopping and surfboards. But resident Andrew Roberts has recently brought something different on his neighborhood walks: a halberd.
Roberts, director of the Hawaii Firearms Coalition, has been taking this weapon on strolls since May. That's when Hawaii loosened its weapons laws in response to the US Supreme Court's 2022 decision that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense.
The decision changed gun laws nationwide, but especially in Hawaii, which previously had tough restrictions on weapons and low rates of gun violence. Now people can openly carry deadly or dangerous weapons in public.
The new law is providing opportunities for some to connect with Native Hawaiian and other cultures through traditional weapons. It's also creating concern that such weapons are more likely to be used.
Roberts calls himself a "true believer in the Second Amendment" that protects Americans' rights to keep and bear arms. He said he walks with his halberd to help promote awareness of the laws.
On a recent Saturday morning, Roberts and his halberd gathered with other members of his group for an oceanfront march celebrating the new law. Among a variety of weapons some carried samurai swords.
Some tourists were surprised, but many seemed unfazed by the armed men carrying a large US flag.
"It's just an opportunity to talk to people about what's going on in Hawaii, talking about Second Amendment rights," said Roberts.
In a statement, the Hawaii attorney general's office stressed that there were still limits to carrying weapons in public.
It is still illegal to carry weapons in a concealed fashion, and the law increased penalties for carrying weapons while committing a crime. It's also illegal to carry a weapon in a way that threatens harm or terrorizes other people.
However, Chris Marvin of the gun-violence prevention group Everytown for Gun Safety, says such weapons don't belong on the street.
"The cultural attitude that we're starting to adopt is not the norm for Hawaii," he said. "In making these laws, we're becoming more and more like the mainland, which is full of aggressive, argumentative people who resort to violence too quickly."
