Actor Matthew McConaughey is a Uvalde, Texas native. Born and raised. So, when the Interstellar and Lincoln Lawyer star delivered a speech on gun control during the White House press briefing today, he had a personal stake in the brutal and senseless murders of 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School two weeks ago.
The speech, which found McConaughey choking back tears at times, was an impassioned plea for the two major political parties to put aside their differences and find a middle ground for gun control.
“You know what every one of these parents wanted, what they asked us for? What every parent separately expressed in their own way to Camila and me? That they want their children’s dreams to live on. That they want their children’s dreams to continue, to accomplish something after they are gone. They want to make their loss of life matter,” McConaughey shared, describing how he and his wife, Camila Alves, spent the last week visiting the families of the victims.
The actor presented pictures of some of the victims’ artwork and then, in a moment that silenced the already somber room, shared green Converse shoes that one girl wore every day. McConaughey told the audience of reporters the same shoes were used to identify her body after the shooting. She had drawn a heart on one of them.
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McConaughey stressed the need for the government to invest in mental healthcare, safer schools, and quiet a media that loves to sensationalize stories like these. He also stressed the need for responsible gun ownership.
“These are reasonable, practical, tactical regulations,” he said. “Responsible gun owners are fed up with the Second Amendment being abused and hijacked by some deranged individuals and these regulations are not a step back. They’re a step forward for civil society.”
He reiterated, “Is this a cure-all? Hell no. But people are hurting, families are hurting. This should not be a partisan issue. There is not a Democratic or Republican value in a single one of these shooters. But people in power have failed to act. So we’re asking you and I’m asking you will you please ask yourselves? Can both sides rise above? Can both sides see beyond the political problem at hand and admit that we have a life preservation problem?”
The Academy Award-winning actor met briefly with President Joe Biden before appearing at the podium, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted. Watch the entire video below:
McConaughey went further, advocating for background checks, raising the minimum age to purchase a weapon such as an AR-15, red flag laws and consequences for those that abuse such gun laws.
Nineteen children and two adults were killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde County on Tuesday, making the massacre the deadliest school shooting in Texas’ history.
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Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on Twitter at @colinthewriter1
