FOLLOWING the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, actor Matthew McConaughey has taken it upon himself to be one of the voices calling for gun laws reform in America.
Earlier this week, in an op-ed written by McConaughey, the Oscar-winning actor made it clear that he believed that responsible, law-abiding Americans deserve their Second Amendment right to bear arms.
In the same breath, he also wrote that Americans have a cultural obligation in taking steps towards the prevention of senseless killing of children.
“The debate about gun control has delivered nothing but status quo. It's time we talk about gun responsibility,” he said, claiming that saving lives was not a partisan issue and urged for “real leaders to step up and do what’s right”.
On Tuesday, McConaughey was in Capitol Hill, the heart of the U.S. Government, to press lawmakers to enact better gun laws after the death of 19 children and two teachers in Robb Elementary School last week.
McConaughey, who was born in Uvalde, said he and his wife, Camila Alves, were in Washington to meet with lawmakers to share stories about his hometown, and what they learned last week meeting with the families of the victims.
The actor, a gun owner himself, then delivered an emotional 21-minute speech at the White House press briefing, revealing that he and his family made their way to Uvalde, and spent it on the ground with the grieving families.
Perhaps the most gut-wrenching was the green Converse sneakers – which Alves held on her lap – belonging to 10-year-old shooting victim Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, which helped her be identified.
McConaughey explained that the time is right to invest in better mental health care, have safer schools, restore family values, have less sensational media coverage and “responsible gun ownership,“ ticking off a list including background checks, raising the minimum age to buy an AR-15 rifle to 21, waiting periods and red flag laws.
“Responsible gun owners are fed up with the Second Amendment being abused and hijacked by some deranged individuals,“ he said.
“These regulations are not a step back. They are a step forward for a civil society and the Second Amendment.”