Uvalde native Matthew McConaughey delivered one of the first high-profile responses to the mass school shooting that happened a few weeks ago in his hometown. He had previously spoken up on numerous political issues, but this enormous tragedy obviously hit home for him. The Dallas Buyers Club star also followed up with an op-ed for USA Today, for which he advocated more “gun responsibility” than gun control, and on Tuesday, he spoke at a White House press conference about the unfortunate current event that’s reignited the gun debate.
Although one would expect such a speech to be emotional, McConaughey’s turn in the Brady Press Briefing Room was even more harrowing than one could have imagined. He paid tribute to the dead, numbering 19 children and 2 adults, and in the process, he asked his wife, Camilla, to hold up the shoes worn by one victim. Those sneakers were used to initially identify the child, given that her body was so riddled by bullets.
Wow, this McConaughey speech pic.twitter.com/0CeFFdAhlw
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 7, 2022
McConaughey paid tribute to more victims in this difficult to watch clip.
Matthew McConaughey is currently giving a powerful speech on the Uvalde school shooting at the White House….this is just a part of him talking about one of the children, Alithia Ramirez
pic.twitter.com/0ncowRKPxs
— Wu-Tang Is For The Children (@WUTangKids) June 7, 2022
Via CNN, McConaughey urged America to finally pull together on the issue:
“We are in a window of opportunity right now that we have not been in before. A window where it seems like real change, real change can happen… I’m here today in the hopes of applying what energy, reason and passion that I have into trying to turn this moment into a reality. Because as I said, this moment is different.”
He further asked, “How can the loss of these lives matter?”
Uvalde, Texas native Matthew McConaughey joins the White House press briefing after holding meetings with lawmakers on gun reform:
“How can the loss of these lives matter?” pic.twitter.com/38xScjv51C
— The Recount (@therecount) June 7, 2022
Clearly, it’s an issue that cannot be easily settled (or America would have done so after other school shootings, including Sandy Hook, Parkland, and Columbine), but the situation seems primed for people to finally come together for a solution. One can hope.
(Via CNN)