Uvalde, Texas native Matthew McConaughey is speaking out about gun “responsibility” following the school shooting in his hometown that left 21 dead, including 19 children.
In an op-ed Monday, which the actor penned for the Austin American Statesman, McConaughey explained he believes Americans need to stop “dangerous people” from being able to get their hands on firearms.
“There is a difference between [gun] control and responsibility,” the actor 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.”
As McConaughey continued, he broke down his plan – a detailed list of recommendations he dubbed “reasonable measures” – that he believes America should adopt to help prevent more mass shooting tragedies. Those include background checks, an age limit of 21 to purchase assault rifles (with exceptions for the military), red flag laws and instituting a waiting period for those buying assault rifles.
He said he didn’t expect his suggestions to solve the problems Americans face, but he expects them to make an impact.
“I want to be clear. I am not under the illusion that these policies will solve all of our problems, but if responsible solutions can stop some of these tragedies from striking another community without destroying the Second Amendment, they’re worth it,” he wrote.
He continued: “This is not a choice between guns or no guns. It’s the responsible choice. It’s the reasonable choice. It’s a quintessentially American choice: Where I have the right to be me, you have the freedom to be you, and we have the responsibility to be US.”
The actor, who has flirted with politics, urged both parties to act together.
“To find common ground on this issue, both sides are going to have to answer the call and reach for the higher ground of our collective responsibility,” he wrote, a sentiment he shared in a statement he released in the immediate aftermath of the Uvalde shootings.
Read McConaughey’s full op-ed here.