Matthew McConaughey arrives on the red carpet for the 90th annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 4, 2018. He called for "gun responsibility" in an op-ed in the Austin American-Statesman on Monday. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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June 6 (UPI) -- Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey, a native of Uvalde, Texas, where 21 people were killed last month in a massive school shooting, said on Monday it is time to take measures to ensure gun responsibility.
McConaughey, who once considered a run for Texas governor, express his feelings in an op-ed in the Austin American-Statesman. He said popular reforms like background checks, the institution of red flag laws and raising the age for purchasing an assault rifle should be seriously considered.
The actor framed his proposal as "gun responsibility" instead of "gun control."
"There is a difference between control and responsibility," McConaughey 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."
Similarly, President Joe Biden has called for increased background checks, raising the age requirement to purchase an assault rifle, and enabling "red flag" laws that allow police or loved ones a chance to prevent individuals to purchase a weapon if they pose a threat to themselves or others.
"I believe that responsible, law-abiding Americans have a Second Amendment right, enshrined by our founders, to bear arms," McConaughey said. "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."
In the op-ed, McConaughey tried to move the discussion away from politics -- where Democrats have called for gun reforms while Republicans resisted any gun-limiting legislation -- and into an obligation to protect lives.
"This is not a choice between guns or no guns," McConaughey said. "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.
"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. Business as usual isn't working."
