His acceptance speech was easily the most brief, but the thoughts shared Friday night by United Food Bank President and CEO Bob Evans were certainly among the most poignant.

“Finally, honesty from the gun control crowd. Their endgame is confiscation of guns which will have to include elimination of the 2nd amendment.”

What is the job of a rodeo clown? Jump out and distract a raging bull from goring the fallen young fool who tried to ride him. They trick the bull into charging aimlessly about until the ring is cleared and danger averted. Compare these clowns to the ones who write to newspapers with silly analogies and diversions from the issue of universal background checks for gun purchases. What would be the difference?

The national dialogue is misleading. To have a “meaningful discussion” we must identify the issue correctly.

ALBANY, N.Y. — 

A Mesa man was arrested after authorities say he threatened to kill his neighbor and police.

Gilbert police responded to a neighborhood near Guadalupe and Lindsay roads after a 5-year-old fired a handgun in the front yard Saturday morning, said Sgt. Jesse Sanger, Gilbert PD spokesman.

WASHINGTON — Seeking to focus on nation-building at home, President Barack Obama will use his State of the Union address to call for more spending on infrastructure and manufacturing, while also announcing the withdrawal of 34,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan within a year.

So let’s look at Arizona’s reaction to the gun control controversy.

PHOENIX -- A Senate panel set the stage Wednesday for a confrontation between state and federal law enforcement over gun laws.

An idea that has so far escaped our state’s politicians in the long and weary immigration debate has surfaced relatively early in the gun-violence debate: comprehensive reform.

A key Tucson legislative Democrat wants to make it a crime for Arizonans to buy a high-capacity ammunition magazine.

Gov. Jan Brewer said she won’t support any new laws to limit who can carry a gun, even in the wake of the killing of students and teachers in Connecticut.

Here's my annual list looking at 2012:

PHOENIX — Military-style semiautomatic rifles have been used in at least four high-profile shootings in the past year. Bushmaster variations of the weapon have been used in two recent attacks, including the Newtown, Conn., school shootings and the Christmas Eve ambush slayings of two New York firefighters. While commonly called the AR-15, Colt and Armalite have been the only companies to make weapons by that specific name. Many other manufacturers, however, now sell similar versions of the rifle largely styled after the military's fully automatic M-16.

Two Arizona gun-rights groups said Wednesday that lawmakers should consider letting specially trained teachers and administrators carry guns into public schools to protect students against future attacks.

Two Arizona gun-rights groups said Wednesday that lawmakers should consider letting specially trained teachers and administrators carry guns into public schools to protect students against future attacks.

Eleven days until Christmas and our hearts are broken by the senseless killing of children and teachers in Sandy Hook Elementary School. Families changed forever, robbed of joy and happy memories in the most beautiful of seasons. Christmas is truly a child’s holiday. The love, the joy, the excitement -- it’s a holy time, a fun time, with Santa Claus, elves and presents.

At Chandler’s Guns Etc., Bryant Scatena examines an AR-15 he’s thinking about purchasing sooner rather than later because of fears that the government will curb sales of assault rifles.

The Ben Avery Clay Busters will host its second annual sporting clays tournament and fun shoot Oct. 6 as a benefit on behalf of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox said the United States has to bolster ties with Mexico — including recognizing the benefits of migrant labor — or get used to the idea of China setting the international agenda on its own terms.

PEORIA -- Former Mexican President Vicente Fox said the United States has to bolster ties with Mexico -- including recognizing the benefits of migrant labor -- or get used to the idea of China setting the international agenda on its own terms.