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A great American is gone:Charlton Heston, the Oscar-winning actor who achieved stardom playing larger-than-life figures including Moses, Michelangelo and Andrew Jackson in historical epics and went on to become a best-selling author, a contentious Hollywood labor leader, an unapologetic gun advocate and darling of conservative causes, has died. He was 84.
Heston died Saturday at his Beverly Hills home, his family said in a statement.
(Via Memeorandum.) While everyone remembers Heston in The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur, I remember him most as a staunch Second Amendment advocate. During the height of the "assault weapon" hysteria of 1990s, Heston stood firm as a leader of the NRA and helped rally conservatives to defend gun-owner's rights.
Heston, who grew up hunting in Illinois, famously said they could take his gun "when they pry it from my cold dead hands." Courtesy of Macsmind, here's the video:
Such strong hands they were!
Today, my heart is heavy with the loss of Charlton Heston. America has lost a great patriot. The Second Amendment has lost a faithful friend. . . . .
My heart is heavy, but not without a sense of pride. Pride in a man who devoted his life to his profession with grace and dignity. Pride in an American who devoted himself to civil rights, to correcting injustices around him, and to standing up for what he knew was right. Pride in a friend who stood with me and stood with fellow NRA members to preserve our freedom for future generations. Pride in a patriot who believed with every fiber of his being that our Bill of Rights is the foundation of our freedom that makes Americans singular among the masses of nations.
Unfortunately, Heston had his less than stellar moments. For instance, he endorsed former Alabama Governor and now convicted felon Don Siegelman in his bid for re-election in 2002 against current Governor Bob Riley. Heston's endorsement as President of the NRA gave credence to Siegelman's claim to be Second Amendment (2AM) friendly... He was not. This endorsement almost cost conservatives the 2002 gubernatorial election.
ReplyDeleteEven if Siegelman was not deceptive about his policies on 2AM, Heston should have known about the several investigations regarding corruption involving Siegelman. Before endorsing candidates, it behooves the endorser to know the facts about the candidate being endorsed.
What we need are more Hestons and fewer Al Gores.....RIP CH.
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