Frommer: Arizona off travel list after guns seen outside Obama speech

[HK G3]

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2009/08/17/daily76.html

Images of armed men at protests on Monday during President Barack Obama's visit to Phoenix has led a tourism guru to take Arizona off his travel list.

Arthur Frommer said he won't travel to Arizona in the wake of the gun incidents outside during Obama's speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Phoenix Police said 12 men openly carried guns during the Obama protests. It is legal to openly carry weapons in Arizona and no arrests were made at the Monday protests. Still, tourism officials worry the incidents may impact Arizona's image with some tourists.

For every action, there's a reaction. Even on my local newspaper website where people online tend to heavily favor the 2A, most comments and thumbs ups/down are in favor of repealing open carry over outrage of Chris B's publicity stunt. Most are saying that there is no place for guns around political events in civilized societies, and something needs to be done.

I fear that the incentive (tourism revenue for our cash-strapped state government) may result in legislation restricting open carry.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Arthur Frommer said he won't travel to Arizona in the wake of the gun incidents outside during Obama's speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Is he going to remove the other 40 some odd states where open carry is legal?

We saw the same mouthing off and threats when Florida passed their Castle Doctrine law. Ask Florida how their travel industry is doing.

The ranting and raving lasted a few weeks then disappeared. That will happen here too.

Do you really believe the type of people that vacation in Arizona will stop because of this? Heck, I might add an extra week to my yearly trip to Carefree because of it. Double nachos at the Spotted Donkey in celebration!

Don't play into their fear mongering.

 

[Shung]

I suggest you just boycott that fool..

 

[Phatty]

Nobody will buy a travel guide that omits a key travel destination. If Frommer refuses to go to Arizona, he's only shooting himself in the foot.

 

[jakemccoy]

The point is that some people will use whatever power they have to counter open carrying at political events. It's a point worth noting because someone with more power than Frommer can start throwing around their weight. Don't underestimate the enemy.

 

[Noban]

Sounds to me like Arthur Frommer needs to grow a few. It makes my skin crawl to hear men act like such pansies.

 

[Eschaton]

People will always want to see the Grand Canyon. I doubt this will have too huge of an impact.

 

[Flame Red]

Yet another reason I wish Florida had OC.

 

[armoredman]

We have had open carry FAR longer than Mr Frommer-Stop has been alive, and I don't think he has the power to change AZ constitution and ARS.
Anyone let him know half of his name is a famous pistol?

 

[lobo9er]

i don't think arizona is missing out on frommer

 

[HK G3]

I wasn't so much worried about Frommer, and his latent hoplophobia as I was all the comments in the paper.

People were making unabashedly anti comments, and would normally have been torn a new one for making them, but instead majority of people were agreeing and supporting them. I've never seen anti's gain any ground on this paper's comments section, but today they seem to be dominating.

Hell, people were insulting the Founders, and getting support today.

 

[feedthehogs]

Another freedom hater who thinks he carries enough weight to do anything.

There's a long list of folks before him who tried the same thing and went down in a blaze of glory including some in the gun industry.

A legend in his own mind.

 

[CoRoMo]

Silly that he thinks he can affect the state of Arizona's tourism industry, to the point that they cave on gun legislation, which is obviously what that state's residents prefer. He must be one dangerous man to mess with.

 

[Mohawk]

CoRoMo, where did you get your insight that Arizona residents want to cave in on gun legislation? Do you have a link? Or is this just your way of back handing the people of Az?

 

[84B20]

Most are saying that there is no place for guns around political events in civilized societies, and something needs to be done.

Where did they get the idea we have a civilized society? Until crime ceases to exist and gangs stop praying on each other as well as the innocent I will continue to carry.

 

[candr44]

For every action, there's a reaction. Even on my local newspaper website where people online tend to heavily favor the 2A, most comments and thumbs ups/down are in favor of repealing open carry over outrage of Chris B's publicity stunt. Most are saying that there is no place for guns around political events in civilized societies, and something needs to be done.

Who cares what Arthur Frommer thinks its the politicians you have to worry about. I think the politicians may now feel threatened by gun owners because of Chris B's stunt and will start to side with the anti gun groups. He may have done more damage than good and handed the anti gun groups more influence.

Didn't we get the gun control act of 1968 because of guns around politicians. Anti gun groups are already using this and saying "all it takes is one lunatic with a gun at a political event". It wasn't a well thought out stunt.

 

[Mohawk]

84B20, Good for you. Keep carrying. Defend yourself and your family. All good. Just don't open carry around political rallies so you don't scare the sheep or intimidate the group you're opposing. Carry concealed.

 

[CoRoMo]

Posted by Mohawk
CoRoMo, where did you get your insight that Arizona residents want to cave in on gun legislation? Do you have a link? Or is this just your way of back handing the people of Az?

What? I think you read my post very wrong.
Highlight the text where I said the "residents want to cave".
Where's the backhanded comment. Please, please, show me where you see this.

I said...

Posted by Yours Truly
Silly that he thinks he can affect the state of Arizona's tourism industry, to the point that they cave on gun legislation, which is obviously what that state's residents prefer. He must be one dangerous man to mess with.

The residents of Arizona prefer the gun legislation that they've enacted, as opposed to a preference to alter it.
If I had written it like this...

...to the point that they cave on their gun legislation; gun legislation which that state's residents obviously prefer.

...maybe it would have been clearer.

 

[ArmedBear]

Hmmm... People occasionally open carry in downtown Boise, right in front of the Capitol building.

Nobody gives a ****.

Boise is probably the safest city I've ever walked around at night, and we don't even raz tourists asking for directions.

Did Frommer just discover that Arizona is an OC state? It seems to me that AZ has always been the best-known OC state, even before OC became a political issue.

 

[84B20]

Mohawk, I don't OC but have nothing against anyone who does. I'm of the school what the BG doesn't know won't hurt me and gives me the advantage of surprise. I have been carrying for the last 5 years here in New Mexico but before that I was one of the lucky ones that had a CCW in California and that I had for almost 18 years.

 

[Cosmoline]

Never heard of him. I just checked out his bio on wiki and it won't be too much longer before EVERYWHERE is going to be off his travel list. Another senile, archaic liberal from the east coast enclaves.

 

[Mohawk]

CoRoMo, you have my apologies. I misread your post. My bad.

Frommer is just an ice cube on a hot day. He'll just melt away and not matter in the larger scheme of things. Perhaps the whole idea that everyone here in Arizona is armed and carrying will actually boost tourism. You know, the old "wild west" thing. I can see all the French and German tourists flocking to the desert now.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Frommer who?

 

[sniper5]

*Yawn!* Oh, Frommer. Yeah, you mean that guy who sells books telling millions of people about the "hidden" places that nobody knows about? Oh, yeah. Don't think I've got any of his stuff, and I try to stay away from the those "hidden" places to avoid the crowds. Kind of like the old "secret fishing hole" thing.

If he went out of business, small loss to me. Throw in a few good well publicized mountain lion attacks and the crowds may thin out enough to make some of those "hidden" places fun to visit.

 

[w9kcj]

Makes me want to move there !