Heston’s death, though has caused a problem, of sorts, for the Los Angeles County Coroners Office.
Sources have told The Garlic, when arriving to remove Mr. Heston’s body from the home, they haven’t been able to pry an antique musket from his hands.
“It’s the darnedest thing … We have had many unusual cases,” a spokesperson for the Coroners Office stated, “and this one is right up there.”
Heston, during his tenure as president of the National Rifle Association, had made a vow;
In Mr. Heston, the N.R.A. found its embodiment of pioneer values – pride, independence and valor. In a speech at the N.R.A.’s annual convention in 2000, he brought the audience to its feet with a ringing attack on gun-control advocates. Paraphrasing an N.R.A. bumper sticker (“I’ll give you my gun when you take it from my cold, dead hands”) he waved a replica of a colonial musket above his head and shouted defiantly, “From my cold, dead hands!”
Heston, active in politics, was, in his earlier life, a democrat, activist and civil rights supporter.
But things changed.
He became a Republican after Democrats in the Senate blocked the confirmation of Judge Robert Bork, a conservative, to the Supreme Court in 1987. Mr. Heston had supported the nomination and was critical of the Reagan White House for misreading the depth of the liberal opposition.
The Coroners Office, to avoid more extreme measures, indicated they would leave this matter to the family and word came in late from the NRA, that they would provide a special, custom-designed casket, with a turret, to intern Heston with his beloved gun.
Additionally, the NRA will drape the coffin with a specially knit flag, the full text of the 2nd Amendment.
“From cradle to grave,” said a somber Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer.
Bonus Links
Statement by the Family of Charlton Heston
Lawyers, Guns and Money: Chuck Has Left the Stage…
Steve Clemons: Thou Shalt Not. . .Charlton Heston Dead at 84
YouTube: From my cold dead hands
Chopped Garlic … Of Virginia Tech … The Right To Bear Arms … And Barry Crimmins
<
p>How gauche!
<
p>And to think that all ten amendments which form the Bill of Rights need protection – BEYOND your evern your obvious talent for satire!
we used to have as citizens of the United States or the paper only amendments we don’t have as proles of Northcomm.
With “government” like this I want a gun.
I grew up the son of a Lithuanian immigrant. My mother lived under the rule of the Nazis, Stalin and Krushev and moved to Montreal later finding her way to NY. I grew up on stories about the old country and the oppression my ancestors faced. I used to ask my mother who are my cousins, where is our family where as she would weep. When I was old enough, she told me that her father was taken in the middle of the night in 1952 and shot to death for being a partisan fighter. Later on in my life I attended a dinner in DC where my grandfather was honored for his role in the resistance.
<
p>Flash forward 15 years to today, 2008. As I sit back in my house and think about the world my mother grew up in and compare it to mine, I see some striking similarities. Can we honestly say we are free, and by the looks of it, our government is moving to restrict more of our rights. My grandfather who was a partisan fight was able to combat the soviets due to arms. If he didn’t have a gun, he would have more or less been helpless. One of the reasons we have the right to bare arms is due to the fact that our forfathers won independence since they had guns. If they didn’t have guns, how do you think they would have revolted? Imagine what chance we would have of fighting totalitarianism in this country if the only people who had guns where the police and army. We would be sitting ducks, kind of like we are now.
<
p>I personally feel the whole gun debate is something created by the neocons to dupe people into giving up their right to bare arms. The want to make us helpless so as we can never fight back. Lets be honest with ourselves, a time will come in this country when all of our rights are stripped from us. Look at the economy, its on the verge of meltdown. What happens if and when our economy collapses and the government declares marhsall law on its citizens. It seems far fetched, but how many of you thought the country would be where its at today. I don’t agree with inner city violence, but I don’t attribute it all to guns. I grew up inner city and I can tell you this, if someone wants a gun, they will get it regardless of laws. They get it through the blackmarket and it puts law abiding citizens at harm because the criminals know they aren’t armed. No to digress from my point, but the war on guns is as much a phony war as the war on drugs, or the war on poverty, the war on terror.
<
p>Its just politician speak to dupe us all into giving them total control.
…anymore than we hate cars. We just think there should be a check on their registration and safe operation like for cars. In case you hadn’t noticed, the United States is very different from the Third Reich and the Soviet Union. We are a free people, just like those in other democratic nations which generally do not allow gun ownership at all. Your government isn’t coming after you in this country and if it were and really wanted to it could overpower any firearm you had anyway.
yes “my” government is in fact coming after me in all endeavors persuant to modern human life. If I did own a gun my chances of taking out even one of the 300 absolute psychopaths who run the world….well I have a better chance of winning 200 million in the lottery.
You apparently have not “updated” your software on the more recent Third Reich issues in this “country”. Shut off the TV and remember what your life was like ten years ago.
They hate people who are interested in having guns.
As the grandson of someone who was slain by an illegally purchased gun I am a staunch supporter of most gun control laws.
<
p>And yes I’ve heard the counter argument that the criminal would have gotten the gun anyway, or that had my grandfather had a gun he might have survived, in either case it doesn’t matter. We are no longer in a state of nature, we have surrendered our right to protect ourselves to the state, that is the whole purpose of the state, and it has the sole legitimate use of violence in our society. Living in a democratic society it is good that we can define the extent of that force.
<
p>That said gun control is not a federal issue. Some states and areas need guns more than others, for hunting and recreation. Arguably people need them for self protection as well but we can narrow that to handguns and shotguns. People do not need assault rifles, armour piercing bullets, etc. Those can only be used for sedition or criminal activity and the state has an active interest in preventing both.
I strongly disagree with your assertion that we have surrendered our right to protect ourselves to the state. The US Supreme Court seems to disagree with you as well. See Castle Rock v. Gonzales, No. 04-278 6/27/2005.
<
p>The Supreme Court will also be rendering a decision regarding whether the Second Amendment is an individual right or a collective right. The decision is expected in late June.
<
p>I believe that the right to self defense is a human right, and that the US Constitution protects it. I believe that the states have an interest in reasonable regulation such as establishing minimum ages, prohibitions for serious crimes, and dangerousness due to mental illness.
<
p>The Second Amendment says nothing about limiting firearms ownership to hunting and recreation. In fact, a little historical research would show that the writings of the framers intended firearms for defense against tyranny and oppression. In part, it’s what makes us citizens, not subjects of the State.
<
p>As I said, lets await the Supreme Court’s decision in June. The Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land. Short of a constitutional amendment however, I believe the future holds reasonable regulation as opposed to strict gun control in the U.S.
did buy us, did they not?
<
p>Certainly not I.
<
p>I have surrendered none, repeat, none of my God-given rights.
<
p>I am surprised that anyone would.
where is it written?
Life, liberty and property. The natural right of ownership is associated with property and establishes the good as being “one’s own thing”. In a community, or group, the owner’s the right to own, sell, barter or transact with the property in a manner he or she sees fit is a natural or god given law.
<
p>That’s a pretty old and respected, if not universally, concept. Not restricted to guns, but of course, guns are included.
passed down as a cultural meme. so if you didn’t answer with bible verses, then i guess the god geo999 referred to isn’t the christian one. which one would it be then? the framers of the gop platform don’t rate as gods, btw…
You go to the bank and take out a mortgage
The bank pays John Smith, who “owned” the property before you XXX dollars
You get a piece of paper saying John Smith “quits his claim” to the property bounded by N 34 degrees by 200 feet……………….
Nowhere, nohow, ever does it say YOU are Lord and Master of all you survey, even if you paid for it.
<
p>As to barter “rights” Google Liberty Dollars.
at least there is for this liberal. as reflected in jconway’s comment below, i think there are circumstances that warrant limited and well regulated gun ownership. hunting in some states is one (and i am not nor ever intend to be a hunter). please keep you blanket statements for the God’s Own Party, where they belong. đŸ˜‰
My Russian boss says he has lived now in two socialist countries. Kudos to you for having the influence of another culture. It gives you the capacity to think for yourself on the merits of things in the real world. I would much rather converse with people I can detect an accent from rather than dumbed down stupid born here Americans. It is most valuable as in America the control mechanisms are accomplished via socially engineered news propaganda and society “norms” instead of at gunpoint.
With government like this I want a gun!