Charles Heston, former President of the NRA, dead at 84 years old

[Terminator]

LOS ANGELES - Charles Heston, who won the 1959 best actor oscar as the chariot-racing "Ben-Hur" and portrayed Moses, Michelangelo, El Cid and other heroic figures in movie epics of the '50s and '60s, has died. He was 84.
The actor died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side, family spokesman Bill Powers said.
Powers declined to comment on the cause of death or provide further details.
Heston revealed in 2002 that he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's Disease, saying, "I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure."

In June 1998, Heston was elected president of the National Rifle Association, for which he had posed for ads holding a rifle. He delivered a jab at then-President Clinton, saying, "America doesn't trust you with our 21-year-old daughters, and we sure, Lord, don't trust you with our guns."
Heston stepped down as NRA president in April 2003, telling members his five years in office were "quite a ride. ... I loved every minute of it."
Later that year, Heston was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor, the nation's highest civilian honor. "The largeness of character that comes across the screen has also been seen throughout his life," President Bush said at the time.

[MacLean]

Quite a man, sorry to see him go.

[Ender]

Quite a man, sorry to see him go.

I feel the same way I felt when Reagan passed. Sad to see a good man go...but glad to know that he isn't suffering from a terrible disease he certainly didn't deserve.

He is happy, healthy, and whole again, both mentally and physically, right now; the world as a whole is a little lesser off, but Heaven is certainly plus one good soul.

[Jenna]

Rest in peace.

[kjlaw]

A great man has passed and it does not matter if you agree with his stance on different issues you must respect the fact that he stood up for what he believed in.

Rest in peace sir.

[NavLaw]

The passing of a great man. What a life he had.

[Willowdared]

They don't make 'em like that anymore.

RIP

[Retmilleo909]

Charlton Heston will be greatly missed by all those who knew him personally and by those who knew him as an actor and former president of the NRA.
My heartfelt sympathy and condolences go out to his family and friends.

[TheeBadOne]

“This week let's put politics aside,”

[mack]

Great man, great actor, he will be missed.

[dadyswat]

I saw it in our Sunday paper and keeping with PC no mention of being President of the NRA.

[depusm12]

Fnatastic actor, You will be missed "Omega Man". The Omega Man was one of my favorite movies of his.

[Willowdared]

I saw it in our Sunday paper and keeping with PC no mention of being President of the NRA.

Our paper mentioned his time with the NRA, and more importantly, stressed what he stood for with the NRA, protecting personal gun ownership.

They also mentioned that he, like Reagan, started out as a Democrat. It was a nice reminder that being conservative cuts across party lines.

He also marched with Martin Luther King.

I think he lived his life with integrity, and I don't recall him ever maligning someone personally for disagreeing with him politically.

As Shakespeare once said..."Here was a Man"

[TXCharlie]

I met him in person and heard him talk at a Republican supper while he was president of the NRA. In all honesty, he wasn't the best president the NRA ever had. Unlike Wayne Lapierre, Heston was way over his head, because he under-estimated and was ill-prepared for the ruthlessness of the gun-haters.

But he believed deeply in the constitution - His push for civil rights came from the same deep beliefs as his stance on gun rights. He believed that the right to self defense was just as important as being able to vote, drink at the same water fountains and go to the same schools. Everything he said was heart-felt.

He was a great actor. Our whole family watched almost every movie he ever made. There will never be another one like him.