Death Threat Against NRA President
September 24, 1999
Author's note -- see also Is the NRA Leadership Wimping Out - I'm having my doubts about this once-worthy organization.
On May 20, 1999, radical filmmaker Spike Lee publicly proposed the outright murder of National Rifle Association (NRA) President Charlton Heston. In a brazen but cowardly public statement, Lee said, "The NRA should be disbanded and Charlton Heston should be shot with a .44 Bulldog." It's obvious Lee is no pacifist, but murder? One has to wonder how this twisted idea came to him.
Charlton Heston, 75, is a hero for our times. He has put his own personal life aside to take the helm of the NRA, willing to use his highly recognizable name and face, along with his considerable skills with the written and spoken word, to protect the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. He has done so uncomplainingly through several medical difficulties, and on the lonely rounds of the speaker's circuit. He could be relaxing, spending time with his grandchildren, but he has chosen above all else to protect their rights, something we all hope they're grateful for. I know I am.
Why in the world would Spike Lee (or anyone) want him dead? Has Heston done something to cause him harm? The answer to that is no; in fact, Heston has done quite a bit that Lee should appreciate; for example:
- Heston risked his career in 1963 by marching for racial equality with Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Heston faced tear gas, water cannons and attack dogs on that march so that the likes of Spike Lee (still in diapers at the time) could realistically aspire to a film career.
- Heston, as president of the Screen Actor's Guild, fought to open doors for black Americans into the technical unions of Hollywood.
Yet Lee believes he should be shot? This is frightening.
Perhaps more frightening than the threat itself is the absence of public response. No outraged reports on the evening news, nothing from President Clinton, who counts himself a crusader against hate speech and hate crimes. Where is the accountability here?
Imagine if Lee had made the same suggestion about the President of the United States. I don't believe he'd still be walking the streets. If he weren't tossed in jail immediately, he would certainly be subject to police and secret service surveillance of the closest kind. It appears that Spike Lee has gotten away with threatening the murder of Charlton Heston publicly, before a large, impressionable audience.
What exactly is Lee's goal? He is obviously at odds with the NRA; they have long taken a strong stand against any kind of gun violence, pushing for mandatory sentencing for gun-related crimes as well as thorough enforcement of existing gun laws. Are Spike Lee and his followers such strong advocates of gun violence that they want the NRA out of the picture? This statement seems to suggest that they are.
The NRA's response to this has been fairly low-key. I suspect the NRA leadership is feeling lonelier than ever these days, what with the lack of reaction, almost indicating acceptance, on the part of our "watchdogs" in the media. Consider their reaction, had an NRA official made a similar statement about Lee, or any other public figure. The dust still would not be settled, if that were the case. We will never find out, since the NRA never has, and never will, advocate any type of criminal activity, whether involving the use of guns or not.
At times like these, when the media and government are looking the other way, leaving the NRA to stand and fight alone as it has so often done, we look to ourselves. Who will bear the burden? As we outraged citizens shake our heads in wonder at the obvious duplicity of it all, the NRA is looking for our help. As the year 2000 elections approach, we need to stick together more than ever.
The NRA's reaction to all of this is to seek strength in the ranks of ordinary citizens who are appalled at Spike Lee's proposal, and who see the public neutrality to the threat for what it is: outright hostility towards gun owners. Whether you're a gun owner or not, you should take a moment to consider: The message being given is that it's okay to hate gun owners, and it's okay to wish them to come to harm. Non-gun-owners are getting the message that gun owners are somehow bad, so bad that they're the only group who can be publicly threatened without public outcry. If the media won't stand up to a death threat aimed at NRA's president, does that mean the NRA and its members do not deserve to live?
A final note: When pressured, Spike Lee later claimed his threat to be a joke. Mr. Heston's response asked him to "Point out the funny word."
- Russ Chastain
See also Is the NRA Leadership Wimping Out - I'm having my doubts about this once-worthy organization.
