11-12-2007, 04:31 AM
I am inexpert on this issue and have done no research but I would be VERY surprised if Hawaii did not permit the defense of self-defense when shooting an intruder. If I hear a human in my house at 3:00 a.m., and all humans are accounted for in the master bedroom, and if I believe (as most would) that I am in peril and I shoot in the general direction of the noise and hit my target, are you saying I would not have the right to defend myself, if charged, using the defense of self defense? I seriously doubt that. Of course, the difference in Florida is, if I understand it, that you have the right to shoot in defense of PROPERTY and not in defense of PERSON.
Well, I do hope we don't get to that point. What would be the point in living in Hawaii? Better weather, larceny assured? Doesn't sound that good to me.
We do need, as a community (and the community includes at the very least off island property owners) to understand what is at the heart of the increase in larceny and burglary (please don't call it robbery --robbery is when property is taken from your person by force or fear, burglary is entering a building with felonious intent, meaning to commit larceny (take something which is not yours)). Is it drugs? Is it cultural (a canoe was taken from Captain Cook and we all saw how that ended!)?
Of course, the chances of stopping the behavior that leads to larceny are very low, although I think we should try.
My guess is that the heart of the problem is the usual misplaced police priorities, and, in Puna especially, the lack of police period, together with some intractable cultural problems which I won't explore here.
I have never seen a police officer in Puna except at a traffic accident at Ainaloa and 130.
All it takes is or the community to insist that the number one crime issue (larceny) be made the number one priority. For example, have they ever done a stakeout at the Kehena Beach parking lot?
It would be so easy. A little time consuming, but easy.
Make the number one crime problem the number one priority.
Well, I do hope we don't get to that point. What would be the point in living in Hawaii? Better weather, larceny assured? Doesn't sound that good to me.
We do need, as a community (and the community includes at the very least off island property owners) to understand what is at the heart of the increase in larceny and burglary (please don't call it robbery --robbery is when property is taken from your person by force or fear, burglary is entering a building with felonious intent, meaning to commit larceny (take something which is not yours)). Is it drugs? Is it cultural (a canoe was taken from Captain Cook and we all saw how that ended!)?
Of course, the chances of stopping the behavior that leads to larceny are very low, although I think we should try.
My guess is that the heart of the problem is the usual misplaced police priorities, and, in Puna especially, the lack of police period, together with some intractable cultural problems which I won't explore here.
I have never seen a police officer in Puna except at a traffic accident at Ainaloa and 130.
All it takes is or the community to insist that the number one crime issue (larceny) be made the number one priority. For example, have they ever done a stakeout at the Kehena Beach parking lot?
It would be so easy. A little time consuming, but easy.
Make the number one crime problem the number one priority.