Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston, an award-winning actor, is president of the National Rifle Association. He maintains in the following viewpoint that the right to private gun ownership is guaranteed by the Second Amendment, and moreover, that the right of private citizens to defend themselves with firearms is vital to freedom. Without the ability to defend themselves, Heston argues, individuals quickly fall prey to tyranny, either from the government or from other groups who are able to intimidate unarmed citizens. The right to bear arms, he concludes, was enshrined in the Constitution because it is vital to individual liberty.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How did all the genocides of the twentieth century begin, in Heston’s view?
2. What do gun bans inevitably lead to, according to the author?
3. What quote by American statesman...