As someone who served as a vice-president under Charlton Heston during his five-year presidency of the NRA and to have been privileged to later hold that same office, I’d like to pay tribute to an extraordinary American hero.
There have been several articles written about Heston since his passing, all moving accounts of his full life and contributions to this country. While each mentions his NRA leadership, I am personally grateful for what Charlton Heston did for the NRA, for America’s 90 million gun owners, and for yet unborn generations of Americans who will inherit freedom undiminished in no small part because of Mr. Heston’s unwavering devotion to our constitutional rights.
Heston was a leading figure for NRA years before he became president. He appeared in pro-gun advertisements and headlined various NRA events, including NRA’s 1996 Annual Banquet. An avid lifelong hunter and gun owner, and a devoted student of history, Charlton Heston understood perhaps better than most modern Americans that lawful firearm ownership is an American birthright.
He also understood that it is a civil rights issue. Heston marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s, and was one of the foremost advocates of racial equality long before others took up the cause. His passion for civil rights and for human dignity was part of the foundation for his Second Amendment leadership. The NRA is the oldest and largest civil rights organization in America. Charlton Heston’s leadership of the NRA was a natural extension of his lifelong crusade to protect individual liberty and dignity.
The 1990s, and particularly Bill Clinton’s presidency, were troubled times for the NRA. NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre initiated a bold and innovative strategy to advance and expand NRA’s appeal and outreach across America. Wayne made the case to his longtime friend Charlton Heston about where the organization needed to go. Heston shared Wayne’s vision and goals, and agreed to run for a seat on the NRA Board of Directors.
Heston ran a brilliant campaign, as might be expected of the former president of the powerful Screen Actors Guild. He won election to the board in 1997 and the board immediately chose him as First Vice President. The following year Heston was elected president, and he and Wayne LaPierre launched an ambitious strategy to share the message of American heritage, patriotism and constitutional freedom from sea to shining sea.
They were an unbeatable team. Charlton Heston’s booming, sonorous voice conveyed a drive and depth of conviction that spoke straight to the souls of his listeners. Wayne LaPierre’s brilliant strategy in defense of our gun rights complimented Heston’s larger than life presentation.
I was privileged to be there. As Second Vice President from 1998-2003, I shared a stage with Heston, LaPierre, and other NRA officers throughout Heston’s presidency. It was a front-row seat to historic events. Even Bill Clinton later acknowledged that the NRA, led by Heston and LaPierre, cost Al Gore the White House in 2000.
Continued... |