At least 19 students and two teachers were killed in a shooting at an elementary school in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday, according to Matthew McConaughey. A statement from the “Dallas Buyers Club” star on his social media platforms said, “Once again we have tragically proven that we are failing to be responsible for the rights our freedoms grant us.” Every American, he added, should pose this question: “What is it that we truly value? What small sacrifices can we individually take today, to preserve a healthier and safer nation, state and neighborhood tomorrow?”
He said that mass shootings should not be accepted as the norm by the American people. He called it an “epidemic we can control,” adding that whatever way people lean politically, “we all know we can do better.” He mentions that no other parent should go through what the parents in Uvalde and others have gone through. He said to the parents who “dropped off their loved ones today not knowing it was goodbye, no words can comprehend or heal your loss, but if prayers can provide comfort, we will keep them coming.”
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Matthew McConaughey has said that he supports the right to bear arms, but believes in sensible gun restrictions. He has advocated for a ban on assault-style firearms and a more thorough background check system. There are other charitable organizations to which he devotes his time, including the Just Keep Living Foundation, which “empowers high school students” by providing after-school exercise and health programs, according to the website. In 1969, McConaughey’s mother worked as a kindergarten teacher at a school about a mile from the Robb Elementary School where the shooting took place on Tuesday. This information comes from Entertainment Tonight.