by David Safier FixGunChecks.org has put together a two-and-a-half minute video of yesterday's downtown rally. At the end of the video, they ask you to go to the site, sign the petition to enforce gun check laws and encourage your friends to sign as well. I encourage you as well.   

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: "What the first amendment protects is freedom of speech, not freedom from rebuttal. What the plaintiffs are really complaining about is that somebody else gets to speak in addition to them." – Todd Lang, Executive Director of the Citizens Clean Elections Commission "[T]he 'burden' created by the Act is that Plaintiffs’ speech … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The editors of the Arizona Republic want to believe, they really want to believe in Jan Brewer, who they endorsed for governor in 2010. They want to believe in her humanity despite all evidence to the contrary. I warned you about Gov. Brewer's Tinkerbell Tax Plan: Just clap your hands and believe! back … Read more

by David Safier We've gotten complaints from readers that it's difficult to comment on BfA, so we took down the hurdles for a month to see how it works. It's not that we wanted to discourage you from commenting. Really. We love our readers, and we love to see your thoughts and feelings in the … Read more

By Michael Bryan Exclusive to BlogForArizona, here's Paul Eckerstrom, former Chair of the Pima and (briefly) Arizona Democratic Parties, advocating for the 51st State: Baja Arizona. Paul spoke to fellow Bajaians at Drinking Liberally in Tucson. Learn more about the movement or join up at the Website or Facebook Page. 

By Michael Bryan You might note that we have made a slight alteration to the site banner. We are now acknowledging the de facto split between Baja and Alto Arizona. Of course, the split is not yet de jure, and may never be, but we thought it time to recognize that Baja and Alto are … Read more

by David Safier

The good folks at Mayors Against Illegal Guns already put out a Media Release with quotes from today's gathering in front of the downtown library.

Here is a sampling of the quotes:

• “On January 8th, my son Gabe was taken from me by the actions of a mentally ill man who never should have been allowed to purchase a gun." Ross Zimmerman (Gabe's father)
• "“I believe that a background check system that is thorough, effective and that applies to every gun buyer will help to keep the streets safer, and keep innocent people out of my operating room." Dr. Peter Rhee
• "As a law enforcement officer, I strongly support the Second Amendment and know that any American would gladly take a few minutes out of their day to save a life.  Let's make something positive out of this senseless tragedy and fix our background check system." Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor
• “I strongly support the Second Amendment but I also know that respecting the Second Amendment means stopping dangerous people from being able to purchase guns.  I call on Congress to reform our background check system immediately so that we can prevent future tragedies like the one we faced here in Tucson.” Former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard
• “Like all Americans, I value our shared constitutional rights, and I strongly support the Second Amendment. I also believe it's possible to honor and protect our rights while keeping guns away from criminals." Former U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini
• “Our faith teaches us that all life is sacred, and we have made it our mission to honor that tradition. What happened on that tragic morning in Tucson, and what happens every day with gun violence in our communities, does not need to happen.  That is why I support the work of this coalition to protect the peace and help save lives by keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous and unstable individuals.” Rev. Jan Flaaten
• "As a law enforcement official, I know firsthand how important it is to have a federal gun background check system that has accurate information on the people who are prohibited from possessing firearms." Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik
• “I am fortunate that my physical wounds have largely healed, but the tragic memory of that day will stay with me for the rest of my life.  I support the Fix Gun Checks legislation because I know firsthand how important it is to input the mental health records of prohibited purchasers into the system and require a background check for every gun sale." Randy Gardner, who was wounded at the January 8 shooting.

NOTE: Dr. Peter Rhee wrote on Huffington Post today: One Gun in the Wrong Hands, Six Innocent Lives Lost

You can read the entire Mayors Against Illegal Guns media release, which includes longer quotes, after the jump.