From: 1911a1@gte.net Subject: Wisdom from Neal Date: 16 Mar 190 21:13:01 CST * * PLEASE READ, DISTRIBUTE, DISSEMINATE WIDELY * * The Charlton Heston File - By NEAL KNOX WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 2) -- The Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin today confirmed that NRA First Vice President Charlton Heston actively worked with the Johnson Administration in passing the 1968 Gun Control Act. Heston, who is in line to be elected NRA President in June if elected to the Board in the election now underway, has served as a public spokesman for NRA for several years. Heston's role in expanding the 1968 Safe Streets Act to prohibit the interstate sale or transfer of rifles and shotguns came to light about two weeks ago when the text of two LBJ Library documents began circulating on the Internet. The documents were so historically accurate that they refreshed memories of the fury of our battle against the Gun Control Act, but I didn't recall the huge Hollywood effort having included Heston. I worried that an enemy might have added Heston's name in an effort to torpedo his NRA fundraising. But 13 pages documenting Heston's gun control efforts are in the LBJ Library, White House Central Files "SP" and "LE," Boxes 5 and 80. On June 12, 1968, White House Deputy Special Counsel Larry Levinson sent a memo to a speech writer: "At the President's suggestion, Jack Valenti has agreed to hold a luncheon in Los Angeles ... June 17, at which a number of famous movie actors -- particularly those who play cowboys -- will speak out in favor of the President's gun control legislation. "For this luncheon, we need two pithy, one-page statements which will be read by two of the 'cowboys' (probably Charlton Heston ...), supporting the President's Gun Control Bill." That same day Levinson sent a telegram to Heston at his Beverly Hills home with a proposed statement that the Safe Streets Act "is only a half-way measure. It covers only handguns -- but fails to include shotguns and rifles. ... As you know, a mail order rifle was used to assassinate President John F. Kennedy, and a rifle was used to kill Dr. Martin Luther King." On June 18, 1968 Levinson sent a memo to President Johnson: "Through Jack Valenti's good work, five movie actors will appear tonight on the Joey Bishop show ... to strongly support your gun control proposal. The actors involved are Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston, Hugh O'Brian [sic], James Stewart and Kirk Douglas. "They will read a very tough statement which we prepared here applauding your action in calling for strict gun curbs." Two days later, on June 20, Special Assistant to the President Joe Califano sent President Johnson a copy of a statement "which Hugh O'Brien read on the Joey Bishop Show last Tuesday. This was a statement subscribed to by Kirk Douglas, James Stewart, Gregory Peck and Charleton [sic] Heston and has been widely circulated throughout the country. The statement was prepared by Levinson and Middleton and was 'slipped' to Hugh O'Brien through Jack Valenti." The statement reminded Joey Bishop's audience that "Two weeks ago, Robert F. Kennedy became one of thousands of Americans struck down by an assassin's bullet." It added: "The Congress has recently given us some protection against pistols in the wrong hands. But that's not enough ... not nearly enough. The carnage will not stop until there is effective control over sale of rifles and shotguns. "President John F. Kennedy was murdered by a rifle. "Martin Luther King was murdered by a rifle. "Medgar Evers was murdered by a rifle." On June 18 Hollywood public relations consultant Dick McKay wrote Califano that "Charlton, Gregory [Peck] and Hugh personally planted this statement with the bureau chiefs at AP and UPI. They were greeted warmly and ... (t)he AP also photographed the trio." Heston's gun control efforts are also found on Page 10 of the October 1968 American Rifleman. The head of a Hollywood anti-gun group had praised Heston as one of "little more than a handful" of "diehards" which included Warren Beatty, Candice [sic] Bergen, Marlon Brando, O'Brien and Jill St. John. Although that was 30 years ago, Heston reaffirmed his views as a "gun control moderate" in his 1978 book, An Actor's Life, while making no mention of changing his mind on gun laws in his 1995 book, In the Arena. He has refused to discuss his efforts to pass the Gun Control Act, saying he has always supported the Second Amendment and quoting recent (mainly scripted) statements - - not including such anti-Second Amendment comments as "AK-47's are inappropriate for private ownership," on KGO, or on KABC that it's okay by him to keep the Brady Act "forever" (both last May). We now have a better understanding of what he means when he talks about bringing NRA into "the mainstream." And now I know why I've never seen a picture of him with anything other than a flintlock rifle or a double-barrel shotgun. Voters now have a clear choice in the election -- Heston's slate or the Second Amendment patriots he imperiously tells you to "Vote Against." --- Knox also urges a "Yes" vote on the member-petitioned "Financial Reporting and Officer Good Conduct" Bylaw amendment. For a list of the candidates Neal supports, see his "Knox Report" in the ballot issue of the March NRA magazines or below. Second Amendment Action candidates: Jerry L. Allen Michael J. Beko James A. Church William Dominguez Howard J. Fezell Daniel B. Fiora Arnold J. Gaunt Fred Griisser Wesley H. Grogan Jr. David M. Gross John Guest Fred Gustafson Don L. Henry William B. Hunt Phillip B. Journey Michael S. Kindberg Jeff Knox John C. Krull Robley T. Moore Larry R. Rankin Albert C. Ross Frank H. Sawberger Thomas L. Seefeldt Kim Stolfer John H. Trentes Glen I. Voorhees Jr. Copy and circulate this letter: a) to NRA members on the internet, b) to your gun clubs and NRA member friends, c) distribute this letter and list at gun shows, gun stores, and shooting ranges. Ask all NRA members you know to VOTE FOR THE SECOND AMENDMENT ACTION CANDIDATES. Visit our web sites: http://www.2ndamendment.net (contains Heston interview) http://www.mcs.net/~lpyleprn/home.html http://www.nealknox.com/ (contains Heston interviews) ------------------------------------------------------ | If guns cause crime, | If you want my | | crime, all of mine are | guns, then you | | defective. | want a war. | |----------------------------------------------------- | Support the Chinese | If Charles Schumer didn't | | Underground! Buy an | exist, it would not be | | SKS and bury it! | necessary to invent him. | ------------------------------------------------------ -*-*-* Visit me at http://home1.gte.net/1911a1 *-*-*- -