Jake: I agree with Steve. It was typical of the anti-gun media to splice the "cold dead hands" bit into Heston's speech and make him look ridiculous. They do that cr@p all the time. It was a powerful combination, and it made an unforgettable impact on the public memory. So powerful that even some gun owners now imagine that it happened that way.
If there is any vestige of 'journalistic integrity' remaining in this nation, it gets switched off whenever the media address polarizing issues such as guns or climate change.
You're right, Jake, that bumper sticker chanting doesn't qualify as intelligent discussion. Every time I see fanatics in Tehran, Baghdad or Pyongyang shouting 'death to America' in unison, I wonder how otherwise intelligent human beings can abandon the gift of thinking in favor of mindless slogans.
The "cold dead hands" line rightly draws ridicule, and it was embarrassing to see a man of Mr. Heston's age and stature parroting it. But he did
not say it in connection with Columbine - that was a media swindle. IMHO, his Denver NRA speech was thoughtful, respectful, and appropriate to the circumstances.
