A legend died today:
Charlton Heston, who appeared in some 100 films in his 60-year acting career but who is remembered chiefly for his monumental, jut-jawed portrayals of Moses, Ben-Hur and Michelangelo, died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif. He was 84, according to his family.
His death was confirmed by a spokesman for the family, Bill Powers, who declined to discuss the cause. In August 2002, Mr. Heston announced that he had been diagnosed with neurological symptoms “consistent with Alzheimer’s disease.”
“I’m neither giving up nor giving in,” he said.
He indeed was a legend whom Hollywood shunned towards the latter half of his life simply because he believed in the right to own a gun belonged to every citizen in this country. Ed Morrissey notes the hypocrisy:
Of course, while Hollywood rejected Heston for his stand on the 2nd Amendment, it churned out more and more films dedicated to mass shootings and indiscriminate violence. Heston couldn’t have fired more bullets in his entire lifetime than in a year of Hollywood movies.
Those ironies and hypocrisies amount to little against Heston’s lifetime of work, on stage and screen as well as in supporting gun rights. Even Democrats these days don’t argue for gun control, chastised by national elections and common sense. The Supreme Court appears ready to acknowledge what Heston had long insisted — that the Constitution guarantees an individual right to gun ownership. His dedication to the Constitution may well be his greatest work.
And the scum at KOS care little in his death, actually…they rejoice in it: (via Stop The ACLU)
A Daily Kos “diarist” named doriangz started out calling Heston a “gun-nut” and ending with his life and causes being considered “political nutdouchebaggery,” and the incivility just flowed like the opening of a damn from Kos posters’ keyboards after that. Not much respect for a man who’s film career spanned many decades, who marched with Martin Luther King, and fought to uphold our Constitution.
One poster said that Heston tore into the “victims of Columbine,” one Marcus Tullius said he laughed when Jerry Falwell died and that Heston’s death made the world a better place. And Fairy Tale echoed that with a post that said, “Things are already getting better in America” now that Heston was dead. RandySF said that he was sorry but that he “can’t think of anything nice” to say about Heston. Aqualad08 seemed to think that if there were “no guns in heaven” that would make it “hell” for Heston.
And they were just getting warmed up.
Then, we always have to have the “he’s a crappy actor” types like poster jazzmaniac and the ones that have no respect, like ohcanada who said, “As we sow.. I didn’t respect him in life..and I won’t in death.” Then FischFry jumped in to say that he assumed that mention of the Heston film “A Touch of Evil” was really a description of Heston himself.
Typical bile from typical lefties. Just sad. The man was an actor of great stature who played some of the most larger then life characters seen on the big screen. He had more character in his right thumb then these people at KOS do in their entire bodies.
He will be missed.
God speed Charlton Heston….
See author page
We lose ANOTHER one of the GREATEST!! You that FROWN, are MOST loooked DOWN on………
Mediocrity can not stand excellence, hence what we see over on Kos.
Rest in peace Judah ben Hur. You will be missed but not forgotten.
Beautiful actor and person…truly a great man. Rest well Mr. Heston.
Whoa… just got back from a work day and saw the news here of Heston’s death. I had the pleasure of meeting him back in the mid 80s. Tho he was older, more bent, I only saw in him the tall, proud man, striding down the studio hall. I shall miss men like Charles Heston. They are rare, and only getting more rare in today’s climate.
I will not, however, read the opinions of Daily KOs posters. I’d never place any value on their opinion anyway, and also know they could never be swayed from their indoctrination. It seems nothing more than a waste omy valued time.
But I have to wonder if, as I watch my WWII father and mother (in their late 80s, early 90s) age, if that generation is really so very sad to leave this earthly world. Not only is it quite unpleasant to “outlast” every one since, certainly, no one can live forever. But there also remains the very real question to them… who’d want to? There comes a time when you can no longer relate to those around you… feeling quite alienated by new attitudes of youth.
Heston and my parents are of a generation who constantly look around in bewilderment at the young baby boomers in charge, and the kids they have raised today. The “greatest generation” enjoyed rich lives… full of highs and lows – losses of friends, poverty and true sacrifice during times of war (and peace), plus the simple joy of starting families, the ability to provide more than they had as children, and witnessing unbelievable technological growth.
I have no doubt Heston fought to the end. It was imbred in him, and in that generation. And it’s a generation I feel more connection to than I do my own baby boomers.
I posted on this over on my blog too, stupid liberal shmucks…they out themselves for what they are every time they open their stupid mouths
Heston was a great actor and a great American. We are so blessed to have had him alive during our time on this planet.
He was a patriot of the first order.
It’s been 4 years since Charleton Heston made the announcement that he had Alzheimers. For 4 years he’s been out of the public eye. But the Daily Cussers can’t let him or his family rest in peace? Class act those liberals, real class.
Anyone recall what they had to say about Ronald Reagan when he died?
You guys should go read the comments on that Kos story, including the ones in which the original author is corrected on Heston’s stand for civil rights and replies with “Thanks for pointing out the good things – I didn’t know that. Good for him.” There are also comments such as “He was a champion of civil rights. All of them. Including the Second Amendment.” The folks who went too far were loudly remonstrated by other participants. I just read all 280 comments, and about 10-15% of them are crap; the rest are nothing more (or less) than what you’d see after any public figure’s death. There are even several along the lines of “you people make me ashamed to call myself a liberal.” In short, it’s right at the typical level of crap for a blog.
I actually had a conversation of roughly 30 minutes with Mr. Heston some years ago, as we waited for our luggage in Dulles Airport (no kidding, he grabbed his own luggage). I didn’t mention the NRA out of courtesy; while I disagree with many of that group’s positions, there was no reason for me to turn our conversation to that subject. He was a great actor who, in his celebrity, was overly kind to have a fairly lengthy conversation with a stranger in an airport.
By the way, I notice that the only significant mention of Heston on Michael Moore’s website is on the front page. There’s a picture, the dates of his birth and death, and a request from Heston’s family that donations be made to the Motion Picture and Television Fund in lieu of flowers. I can find no other mention of Heston’s death on the site, save the text of his family’s statement. That’s actually pretty classy, I think…
Sorry, that should have read “significant mention of Heston’s passing.”
Charlton Heston had greater amounts of masculintiy in his pinky that a liberal has in his entire body.
I am so very saddened by Mr. Heston’s passing, yet I know he is in a place of peace that we cannot imagine in full. It’s hard when such a great icon is gone, yet what a great legacy he leaves. So, in that respect, he is not gone, nor will ever be.
I will always remember the spiritual impact ‘Ben Hur’ gave me the first time I saw it. I will forever treasure that in my heart.
God bless the family of Mr. Heston at this difficult time with comfort, strength and peace.
Finally, thank you, Mr. Heston, for the gift you gave to us in your artistic talents, as a conservative civic role model, and just your overall inspiration to many generations for us to aspire to greatness. You will be, and in fact, are already missed by this admiring fan and fellow conservative.
SO GLAD CHARLES HESTON IS FINALLY DEAD!
HE WAS SUCH AN ASS… HOMOPHOBIC… ALL FOR GUNS…
THE DEVIL HAS HIM NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Peter,
What a disgrace you are to your name…sad.
Once upon a time, “liberal” and “progressive” and “Democrat” meant
“open-minded”
Godspeed Mr Heston & thank you