Matthew McConaughey made a passionate plea for gun reform at Tuesday’s White House press briefing.
The Oscar-winning actor is a native of Uvalde, Texas, where 19 students and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24.
Matthew and his wife, Camila Alves, traveled to Washington to meet with lawmakers and “remind and inspire them that the American people will continue to drive forward the mission of keeping our children safe — because it’s more than our right to do so, it’s our responsibility to do so.”
The actor met with scores of lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Monday and Tuesday and pushed for the following reforms:
- Universal background checks
- Raising the minimum age to buy an AR-15-style weapon from 18 to 21
- Instituting a waiting period to buy assault weapons
He stated at the White House:
These are reasonable practical tactical regulations to our nation, states, community, schools, and homes.
Responsible gun owners are fed up with the Second Amendment being abused and hijacked by some deranged individuals.
These regulations are not a step back. They’re a step forward for a civil society and — and the Second Amendment.
Matthew McConaughey, who notes he is a gun owner, shared the moving details from his meetings with the grieving families last week in his hometown.
The common thread — independent of the anger and the confusion and sadness — it was the same. How can these families continue to honor these deaths by keeping the dreams of these children and teachers alive?
How can we make the loss of these lives matter?
While we honor and acknowledge the victims, we need to recognize that this time, seems that something is different.
Can both sides see beyond the political problem at hand and admit that we have a life preservation problem on our hands?
We’re got to take a sober, humble, and honest look in the mirror and rebrand ourselves based on what we truly value.
Camila sat nearby, as Matthew spoke, holding a pair of little green Converse sneakers, that belonged to Maite Rodriguez, a victim in the Robb Elementary school shooting.
Maite wore the green sneakers because she loved nature and wanted to be a marine biologist.
Sadly, those green sneakers were the “only clear evidence that could identify her.”
It was a point that led Matthew to also speak about the victims’ bodies.
These bodies were very different.
They needed extensive restoration.
Why?
Due to the exceptionally large exit wounds of an AR-15 rifle.
Most of the bodies were so mutilated that only DNA tests or green Converse could identify them.
Many children were left not only dead — but hollow.
Watch his full speech below.
Something has to change! Not tomorrow, not next week, next month, or next year.
But, RIGHT NOW!
I hope Matthew McConaughey’s words pierce the hearts of the lawmakers who have sat by idly as more and more bodies pile up.
Source: ABC News
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