Dartblog

In a dreadful oversight last week, I failed to mark the passing of one of America’s great Second Amendment crusaders. Known for his work first as an accomplished actor and then as the president of the National Rifle Association from 1998 to 2003, Charlton Heston spent the majority of his life as an outspoken supporter of civil rights. In 2000, he famously exclaimed that an Al Gore administration would take his gun ownership rights “from my cold, dead hands.” Former First Lady Nancy Reagan and President George W. Bush have offered tributes in his honor, noting his contributions to film and to country. He fought for the United States during World War II, led the Screen Actors Guild, and marched with Martin Luther King, Jr.

Frank Sinatra once said, “That guy Heston has to watch it. If he’s not careful, he’ll get actors a good name.” Indeed he did, balancing his Hollywood career with political activism in the tradition of Ronald Reagan. It is due to his work and those of others in the National Rifle Association that I am able to exercise my right to bear arms so frequently. Some of my best memories from high school involve shotgun sports, including meeting Wayne LaPierre and attending national competitions. Heston’s work on behalf of civil rights throughout his life is to be lauded.

Below, I present a selection from a statement by Wayne LaPierre Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association of America:

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. So have I, and so have four million NRA members and eighty million gun owners. And so has every American who cares about the Bill of Rights, individual liberty, and Freedom.

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.

And now, Charlton Heston has passed that duty to us – the next generation. I am as proud to continue his cause as I am to have known him as my friend.