The travel writer Arthur Frommer has authored dozens of Frommer’s Travel Guides, and he writes a blog called Arthur Frommer Online.
Now he’s trying to organize a boycott of Arizona’s travel industry because he disagrees with its gun laws.
In a blog entry on August 18, he asks the rhetorical question:
Do Guns at Political Events Disturb You? Then Consider Skipping Arizona for Now
He goes on to write, “I am not yet certain whether I would advocate a travel boycott by others of the state of Arizona; I want to learn more about Arizona’s gun laws and how they compare with those of other states. But I am shocked beyond measure by reports that earlier this week, nearly a dozen persons, including one with an assault rifle strapped about his shoulders and others with pistols in their hands or holsters, were openly congregating outside a hall at which President Obama was speaking to the Veterans of Foreign Wars.”
And this: “For myself, without yet suggesting that others follow me in an open boycott, I will not personally travel in a state where civilians carry loaded weapons onto the sidewalks and as a means of political protest. I not only believe such practices are a threat to the future of our democracy, but I am firmly convinced that they would also endanger my own personal safety there. And therefore I will cancel any plans to vacation or otherwise visit in Arizona until I learn more. And I will begin thinking about whether tourists should safeguard themselves by avoiding stays in Arizona.”
Then he adds: “I would feel as I do regardless of the political identity of the speaker whom these thugs attempted to intimidate. The continued tolerance of extremists carrying guns is a frightening development which strikes at the heart of the political process and endangers the ability to carry out a reasoned debate. Is there any responsible citizen of the United States who believes that people should carry guns to a public debate or speech? If Ronald Reagan were delivering a political talk in Phoenix, Arizona, would they have felt it was proper for protestors with guns to mill about outside the hall from which he would leave?”
And in conclusion, he says, “I’d appreciate hearing your comments. The question is, should we all organize a travel boycott of Arizona until this tolerance of armed intimidation is ended, probably by an act of the Arizona legislature?”
From our perspective, we instead say, “GunReports.com is not yet certain whether we would advocate a boycott by others of Arthur Frommer’s writings and guidebooks about travel. We want to learn more about his biased views of people who defend their constitutional rights and how they compare with those of other travel writers. But we are shocked beyond measure that he asserts that travelers should avoid a low-crime state such as Arizona simply because its citizens demonstrate their constitutional freedoms.”
The question is, should gunowners all organize a boycott of Frommer and his advertisers until his media intimidation is ended?
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