Few men as impressive in intellect, character and grace as Ed Firmage have walked upon this Earth.

As many of you know, Ed was the initial inspiration for the establishment of this blog four months ago. I know I speak for many when I say, I want and need to hear what Ed Firmage says and thinks regularly and especially in these days.

Ed is well recovered from some recent health problems and back with a vengeance. Before the week’s end he will begin posting on One Utah.

I accompanied Ed to the rally in Liberty Park (in SLC) yesterday. Almost upon arrival he queried the man below about what he meant by “Who killed all the white babies”. The man responded saying, “People like you Ed, who are pro-abortion.” Ed was surprised that the man knew his name but everyone knows Ed.

I wanted to remind him that nobody is pro-abortion, but Ed just walked away. Ed picks his battles. We walked around a bit and I strayed behind as countless people greeted Ed.
After I managed to stuff the dozen books he bought from the World Socialist table into my backpack, we worked our way into the middle of the crowd circled around the speakers.

Anyone who wanted was given a minute to speak. Mark Alvarez, a former law student of Ed’s. saw him and motioned him up to the microphone. When Mark informed Ed that he had been his student, Ed asked him if he had given him and A. Mark replied, “No, you gave me a B.

As Ed began to speak, it was amazing to watch the media appear out of nowhere. He took of the White House baseball cap he had received during a recent visit with Bush, Rove and others, lest he be too closely associated with them.

Somebody stuck a sombrero on his head, and he launched. KCPW Lara Jones recorded it in an audio postcard.

Before we left Ed had a little encounter with Salt Lake’s most infamous “scripture quoter”.

The subject was judgement. Chapters and verses were thrown about in a hail of back and forth the likes of which can only occur in Salt Lake City.

I think Ed won when he corrected the guy not on a chapter, but on a verse. The guy pulled out his bible faster than a outlaw in Dodge City only to concede with humility and grace.

I don’t know the sport, but I’m guessing few can go toe-to-toe with Ed when it comes to the professional wrestling of “chapter and verse”.

He certainly crushed the hellfire guy.

In the coming days, Ed will post a hell-fire series of recent letters he’s written on the religio-politcal and consitutional issues of the LDS Church’s support for a consitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a women.

I promise it will be worth following.