Matthew McConaughey writes op-ed on 'gun responsibility'

Matthew McConaughey, who has been outspoken in support of Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers as part of a recent wave of mass shootings, has written an op-ed calling for "gun responsibility."

"I believe that responsible, law-abiding Americans have a Second Amendment right, enshrined by our founders, to bear arms," wrote the Oscar winner, 52, born and raised through age 10 in Uvalde, in a more than 800-word editorial Monday in the Austin American-Statesman. "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."

Calling gun control "a mandate that can infringe on our right,” he said gun responsibility "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."

The son of a kindergarten teacher, Mary Kathleen "Kay" McCabe, McConaughey wrote that, "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. 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," he stressed, "a partisan issue."

He offered four suggestions, beginning with, "All gun purchases should require a background check. Eighty-eight percent of Americans support this, including a lot of responsible gun owning Texans."

Additionally, "Unless you are in the military, you should be 21 years old to purchase an assault rifle. I'm not talking about 12-gauge shotguns or lever-action hunting rifles. I'm talking about the weapon of choice for mass murderers, AR-15s."

He advocated for "red flag laws," under which "loved ones or law enforcement" can petition a court to "temporarily prevent individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or accessing firearms. These laws must respect due process, judicial review, and hold [to] account individuals who may abuse such laws."

Finally, he suggested "a national waiting period for assault rifles," which he said were often purchased "in a fit of rage … . Studies show that mandatory waiting periods reduced homicides by 17 percent."

He went on to address objections, stating that while such measures would not "solve all of our problems … responsible solutions can stop some of these tragedies. … This is not a choice between guns or no guns." Saying, "With every right there comes a duty," McConaughey stressed that, "Business as usual isn't working. … The heinous bloodshed of innocent people cannot become bearable."

"Responsibility,” he wrote on his social media Monday, linking to his editorial.

McConaughey had visited Uvalde to pay his respects three days after the massacre, drawing kudos from the district's Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas). The actor-producer's Just Keep Livin Foundation has begun a fund (jklivinfoundation.org/Uvalde) to help with the families' funeral expenses and to provide counseling.