Actor Matthew McConaughey made a “call to action” on Wednesday, following a gruesome elementary school shooting in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas, telling Americans “it’s time” to “re-evaluate, and renegotiate our wants from our needs.”
An 18-year-old male, who The Daily Wire is not naming in keeping with a policy of depriving mass shooters of undeserved notoriety, allegedly shot up the Robb Elementary School on Tuesday, killing at least 21, including 19 children and two adults, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed.
“The true call to action now is for every American to take a longer and deeper look in the mirror, and ask ourselves, ‘What is it that we truly value? How do we repair the problem? What small sacrifices can we individually take today, to preserve a healthier and safer nation, state, and neighborhood tomorrow?'” McConaughey said in a statement posted to Twitter. “We cannot exhale once again, make excuses, and accept these tragic realities as the status quo.”
“As Americans, Texans, mothers and fathers, it’s time we re-evaluate, and renegotiate our wants from our needs,” he continued. “We have to rearrange our values and find a common ground above this devastating American reality that has tragically become our children’s issue.”
Notably, McConaughey was in the past rumored to challenge Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, but announced in 2021 that he would not be making the political run.
McConaughey noted that his hometown is Uvalde, where the shooting took place. “We have tragically proven that we are failing to be responsible for the rights our freedoms grant us,” he said.
“This is an epidemic we can control, and whichever side of the aisle we may stand on, we all know we can do better,” the “Time to Kill” actor wrote. “We must do better. Action must be taken so that no parent has to experience what the parents in Uvalde and the others before them have endured.”
“And to those 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,” McConaughey closed the statement.
Uvalde, Texas, USA. pic.twitter.com/0iULRGtREm
— Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) May 25, 2022
Back in 2018, McConaughey said he wanted a ban on “assault weapons for civilians” and called for stronger background checks, KXAN noted.
“One, let’s ban the assault weapons for civilians,” the Texan said. “This is a no-brainer.”
“And to my friends out there that are responsible owners of these recreational assault weapons that they use for recreation, please let’s just take one for the team here and set it down,” he added. “That issue saves lives.”