Matthew McConaughey has called for gun owners to practice “gun responsibility” in the wake of the mass shooting that took the lives of 19 children and two teachers in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas.
“I am a father, the son of a kindergarten teacher, and an American,” McConaughey writes in an editorial published in the Austin-American Statesman. “I was also born in Uvalde, Texas. That’s why I’m writing this.”
McConaughey, an ardent supporter of the second amendment, is clear in his editorial that he does not support gun “control,” which he sees as an impediment to his second amendment rights. The Oscar-winning actor, who had previously considered a campaign for Texas governor, instead vouches for gun “responsibility,” calling on gun owners in the country to support measures to protect both their rights and the lives of countless innocent people.
“There is a difference between control and responsibility,” he writes. “The first is a mandate that can infringe on our right; the second is a duty that will preserve it. There is no constitutional barrier to gun responsibility. Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous people is not only the responsible thing to do, it is the best way to protect the Second Amendment. We can do both.”
He adds, “Saving the unnecessary loss of lives is not a partisan issue.”
In addition to his calls for increased responsibility among gun owners, the actor also included a four-point plan to promote gun safety. His plan includes background check requirements, an age minimum of 21 years old to purchase assault rifles, enactment of red flag laws and instituting a national waiting period for assault rifles. Through these measures, McConaughey believes that gun-bearing Americans can prevent unnecessary loss of life while keeping their constitutional rights.
“I want to be clear,” he writes. “I am not under the illusion that these policies will solve all of our problems, but if responsible solutions can stop some of these tragedies from striking another community without destroying the Second Amendment, they’re worth it.
He continues: “This is not a choice between guns or no guns. It’s the responsible choice. It’s the reasonable choice. It’s a quintessentially American choice: Where I have the right to be me, you have the freedom to be you, and we have the responsibility to be U.S.”