So Passes Judah Ben-Hur

First of all, holy crap, I had no idea that anyone still read my ancient video game reviews. I got a comment on the review for Earthbound Zero, requesting where a person could find the ROM file. Legally, you can't possess ROM files, as they violate the crap out of copyright. Whether or not Mother 1 (AKA Earthbound Zero) was released in the US doesn't change that. Therefore, I can't answer your question, because I played it to review it, and deleted it right after. I don't have it anymore, and haven't really cared to try and dig it back up. So please, for future reference: If I review a game, please don't contact me asking where you can get ROMs.

And now, on to business: Charlton Heston is dead (FT). That's Mr. Heston over there, in the title role from the epic classic film Ben-Hur. You might also remember him from his Civil Rights work in the 60s, being one of a handful of Hollywood stars speaking out against Racism. You might also also remember him from his speech, directed at Al Gore, holding a flintlock rifle over his head, stating emphatically that Gore could have his gun "when he pries it from my cold, dead hands."

Well, as the submitter on Fark stated, it's time to pry the gun out.

Yes, Heston was a classic actor from the Golden Age of Hollywood (when they had original ideas, unlike today). Yes, Heston's Civil Rights work is to be respected and admired.

And unfortunately, yes, Heston was a gun nut.

Now, I'm all for the 2nd Amendment. I believe that responsible people should have the right to own and bear weapons. Did you get the key words there? RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE. But I don't need to join some club full of judgment day fundies who want every gun on the planet legal for the individual to own.

Assault rifles? Yeah, the military can keep that. Sub-machine guns, again, military. Handguns and rifles,? Sure, every day people can have those. But they have to be a fucking grown-up about it and think about any and all possible consequences that having a gun in their home could present. It's not rocket science, it's common sense.

Yeah, there are people who don't need guns, Dick Cheney the first among them, followed by all the gangsta wannabes (regardless of skin color), and moving right down the line to religious wingnuts (regardless of religion), mentally unstable, etc., etc.

Mentally unstable, like quite a number of the higher-ups in the NRA. Yeah, it's cool if you protect the 2nd Amendment. That I don't have a problem with. It's not cool when you're so fixated on its literal interpretation that you try and make firearms that no civilian should ever have access to available to the public at large.

There are just certain guns that untrained people shouldn't own.

Heston was at the forefront of that brigade of loonies, the public face of an organization that has way too much clout for its own good. Makes you wonder if Ted Nugent will take over for Heston now that he's a stiff.