Charlton Heston, R.I.P.

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!

A personal remembrance by PJM's Roger Simon, and Sean Hackbarth has tons of video clips.

Wayne LaPierre of the NRA:

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.