Crime & justice

SCOTUS Strikes Down Hawaii's Concealed Carry Law

Is this a victory for gun rights or a partisan blow to public safety?

Published 18 hours ago

SCOTUS Strikes Down Hawaii's Concealed Carry Law

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Above: A man wearing his pistol in Alexandria, Virginia on Oct. 9, 2022. Image credit: Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post/Getty Images

The Spin

Democratic narrative

The Supreme Court's ruling in Wolford v. Lopez is a deeply flawed decision that ignores four founding-era laws nearly identical to Hawaii's statute. Justice Alito brushed aside clear historical precedent to deliver a partisan outcome, proving that Bruen is applied selectively rather than consistently. Business owners and workers now bear the burden of opting out of gun carry.

Vox Everytown

Republican narrative

Hawaii's law was a blatant attempt to gut the Second Amendment after Bruen already settled public carry rights, forcing law-abiding permit holders to get explicit permission just to enter a gas station or restaurant. Concealed carry permit holders are statistically far more law-abiding than the general population, so treating them as threats has zero empirical basis.

Breitbart American Rifleman