Matthew McConaughey Pens Op-Ed on Gun Violence

Matthew McConaughey is looking for gun accountability in a brand new op-ed addressing the May 24 capturing that killed 19 children and two teachers in his hometown of Uvalde, TX. In an op-ed entitled “It’s Time to Act on Gun Responsibility,” revealed in USA Today’s The New Austin Statesman, McConaughey used his personal story to advocate for “slowing down the senseless killing of our children.”

“I am a father, the son of a kindergarten teacher, and an American. I was also born in Uvalde, Texas,” he started. The actor went on to name for bipartisan motion on weapons. “Depraved acts of violence, with guns as the weapon of choice, are ripping apart families, tearing at people’s faith, and shredding the fabric of our society,” he wrote. “We have an epidemic of indiscriminate mass shootings, of parents burying their children, of inaction, and buck-passing. Saving the unnecessary loss of lives is not a partisan issue.”

McConaughey’s op-ed proposed that establishing rules that guarantee accountable gun use would shield and strengthen the Second Amendment. “There is a difference between control and responsibility,” he wrote. “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 additionally argued that whereas higher psychological well being care and faculty security measures are essential, within the brief time period, “we need to focus on corrections and countermeasures that can also and immediately reduce the gun violence tragedies that have become too common in our country.” McConaughey went on to advocate for requiring background checks for gun purchases, reminding readers that background checks are supported by “88 percent of Americans.” He additionally argued that other than members of the navy, potential patrons ought to be over 21 years outdated with a purpose to buy an assault rifle, and he advocated for Red Flag Laws, which might enable involved family members and regulation enforcement to position short-term restrictions on people’ capacity to purchase weapons.

McConaughey’s op-ed comes within the wake of a horrifying wave of mass shootings. Over the weekend of June 4, not less than seven mass shootings occurred within the United States, killing 15 and injuring not less than 60 folks. In 2022, the US has seen not less than 246 mass shootings, with the current spike coming simply weeks after a gunman killed 10 folks in an act of domestic terrorism in Buffalo, NY, and the Uvalde capturing that rocked the nation after 19 younger youngsters and two academics have been killed of their college classroom.

The United States has a far greater rate of weapons per residents than different international locations around the globe, with one BBC survey discovering that the US has 120.5 weapons per 100 residents, whereas Yemen, which has the following most weapons per residents, has 52.8 weapons per 100 residents. The US additionally has far more relaxed gun legal guidelines than different developed nations, with loophole legal guidelines making it primarily attainable for most individuals to purchase weapons with out situation. The US additionally has by far the very best rate of gun-violence-related deaths per 100,000 folks of any developed nation, per The Trace. While different nations have established stricter gun laws following mass shootings, which led to reductions in gun violence, the United States has constantly failed to take action.

If you are searching for extra data on how one can become involved within the struggle towards gun violence, Everytown affords resources and roadmaps to hitch the struggle. Newtown Action Alliance additionally affords resources and methods to become involved, and you can even donate to those six organizations working to finish gun violence.