Matthew McConaughey Calls for Unity and ‘Gun Responsibility’ at White House Press Briefing
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Actor Matthew McConaughey appeared at the White House on Tuesday to call for “gun responsibility measures” in the aftermath of the Uvalde, Texas elementary school shooting.
McConaughey, who is from Uvalde, emotionally recounted the stories of the children and teachers who were killed, at one point bringing in shoes similar to those worn by one of the students. “So, we know what’s on the table,” the actor said. “We need to invest in mental healthcare. We need safer schools. We need to restrain sensationalized media coverage. We need to restore our family values. We need to restore our American values. And we need responsible gun ownership.”
Addressing specific gun policies, the actor — who previously considered running for Texas governor and briefly polled higher than Gov. Greg Abbott — advocated for background checks, waiting periods, red-flag laws and a higher minimum age to purchase an AR-15; many of these proposals are being considered by a bipartisan group of Senate negotiators. “As divided as our country is, this gun responsibility issue is one that we agree on more than we don’t,” McConaughey said, adding, “This should not be a partisan issue.”
Coverage was widespread across the spectrum on Tuesday and Wednesday. Despite McConaughey’s use of the phrase “gun responsibility,” several reports across the spectrum said he called for “gun control.” Voices on the right and left often framed McConaughey’s speech favorably.
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Matthew McConaughey’s speech at the White House on Tuesday was strikingly different from the usual “Hollywood star lectures America” dribble: This was humble, moving and truly personal.
Uvalde is the actor’s hometown; it was the horror there that compelled him first to write for his local paper (reaching out to fellow Texans first) and then to accept the invite to speak to the nation.
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Matthew McConaughey puts Congress to shame on guns
Because celebrity draws attention, the White House invited actor and Uvalde, Tex. native Matthew McConaughey to the White House to encourage Congress to respond to the massacre of 19 children and two teachers there by passing meaningful gun reform legislation.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, McConaughey showed the artwork of one slain 10-year-old girl. He showed distinctive green sneakers another girl always wore — which he said were the only way her body could be identified. He said we must give all those children “our promise that their dreams are not going to be...
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It’s time to act on gun responsibility
I am a father, the son of a kindergarten teacher, and an American. I was also born in Uvalde, Texas.
That’s why I’m writing this.
I believe that responsible, law-abiding Americans have a Second Amendment right, enshrined by our founders, to bear arms. I also believe we have a cultural obligation to take steps toward slowing down the senseless killing of our children. The debate about gun control has delivered nothing but status quo. It’s time we talk about gun responsibility.
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