OK 'Monkey, but early radicalism in a radical period cannot be the only criteria for any proper assessment can it. As you know, the history books are littered with those who scored highly on the ethical and political scale during their youths, but sadly failed to sustain that initial flourish over a sustained period of time.
Of course, no one should seek to diminish Heston's earlier outrage about injustice, or his courage then, for standing up and being counted.
But don't we have to temper our praise with the sober recognition that much of the violence that we witness across the pond does have a relationship to small arms availability there, and that figures like Heston bear some responsibility for that circumstance?