In the gun-banners’ race to “do something” about so-called gun violence, a key component has been conspicuously absent in some of the proposals they’ve been offering up: due process. The latest example comes in Hawaii, a state with already-strict gun laws.
Lawmakers there have introduced a bill that would force gun owners to surrender firearms following an emergency hospitalization for mental health issues. The measure would require police to give gun owners written notice to immediately surrender all firearms. If gun owners fail to turn them in, police could then seize all firearms and ammunition until the person is medically cleared or until the guns were sold by the owner.
Unsurprisingly, the proposal has been opposed by gun owners. Daniel Reid, NRA state liaison, said the bill ignores due process because it doesn’t require a judicial order, and instead takes away a constitutional right simply for receiving medical treatment.
