Magazine accused of rewriting history to defend Hawaii gun 'vampire rule'

1 independent outlets are covering this story. Verification: Watching — single-source — not yet independently corroborated. Patriot Watch links to original reporting; we don't republish it.

Read the story at Bearing Arms →

What we know

A publication is being accused of distorting the historical record in order to defend Hawaii's gun measure known as the vampire rule. Critics say the magazine's coverage misrepresents facts to support the regulation.

Patriot Watch first flagged this story 1 d ago, when Bearing Arms reported it. So far this remains a single-source report. The most recent report came 1 d ago from Bearing Arms. Verification tier: Watching — single-source — not yet independently corroborated.

⚖ The Constitutional Angle

The constitutional question is whether Hawaii can defend its gun restrictions by recasting history. In Wolford the Court struck down Hawaii's ban on licensed concealed carry on private property open to the public without owner consent. Under Bruen, the government must show its regulation matches the Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation, and a revised account of that history cannot satisfy that burden.

Jason Wolford v. Anne E. Lopez, Attorney General of Hawaii 609 U.S. ___ (2026) (slip op.); U.S. Reports page not yet assigned

Vote: 6-3 · Opinion: Alito

Hawaii's law (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 134-9.5(a) (2023)) prohibiting licensed concealed-carry permit holders from carrying handguns on private property open to the public without the owner's express authorization violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments.

New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Kevin P. Bruen, Superintendent of New York State Police 597 U.S. 1 (2022)

Vote: 6-3 · Opinion: Thomas

New York's requirement that applicants demonstrate 'proper cause' — a special need for self-protection distinguishable from the general community — to obtain an unrestricted public-carry license violates the Fourteenth Amendment by preventing law-abiding citizens with ordinary self-defense needs from exercising their Second Amendment…

Precedent facts from the PW Law Library — primary-source verified & independently audited