Matthew McConaughey Calls for Action After Texas School Shooting: ‘We Need to Do Better’

Matthew McConaughey posted on Twitter Tuesday night about a mass shooting that had previously taken place at Robbie Elementary School in the actor’s hometown of Wawald, Texas.

The tragedy killed at least 19 children and two adults and is considered the deadliest school shooting since the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre.

“Once again, we have tragically shown that we can no longer be held accountable for the rights our freedoms give us,” McConaughey wrote, delivering a broad message. “The real call to action is for all Americans to look more and more in the mirror and ask, ‘What do we really value?’ How to solve the problem? What small sacrifices can we individually make today to keep a nation, state and neighborhood healthy and safe tomorrow?’ “We cannot breathe again, find an excuse and accept this tragic reality as the status quo.”

In a later message, the actor said: “This is an epidemic that we can control and no matter which side we are on, we all know we can do better. We have to do better. “Measures must be taken so that no parent experiences what their parents and others before them suffered.”

McConaughey has a long history of activism and philanthropy in his home state and even considered running for governor last year.

Following the shooting, many of his fans on social media urged the actor to make a statement in support of gun control, return to his hometown and/or reconsider his gubernatorial candidacy against current Republican President Greg Abbott. (However, the entry deadline for the race expired in December.)

The actor previously said he supported the Second Amendment while also supporting gun control laws. He joined the March for Our Lives in Austin in 2018, where he said, “We now have an epidemic in our country that we need to fix.” The actor called for a ban on attack-style weapons, high-capacity searches and advocated better regulated background checks.

McConaughey has also worked with students at at-risk schools for years through his Just Keep Livin Foundation. The 14-year after-school program has grown to 40 schools and focuses on children’s physical fitness, mental health, teamwork and community service.

The actor has acted in tragic circumstances like visiting Sam Houston High School in 2019 after the death of his beloved teacher. “They just slapped him in the face, reminding him that life isn’t permanent,” McConaughey said. previous tragedy. “It’s not constructive to say something isn’t fair and shouldn’t have happened. No matter how hard it is to lose someone, it can really lift people up and make us question what’s important in our lives.

McConaughey was also a regular at fights, annual and impromptu events, for example his virtual show We’re Texas in March 2021, which raised $7.7 million for victims of the devastating winter storm. The actress has worked to attract talent, from post Malone to Kelly Clarkson and Miranda Lambert.

McConaughey declined to run for office in November last year, although some hypothetical polls suggested he would be an excellent candidate. The actor said that, on the contrary, “he continues to work and invest with the support of entrepreneurs, companies and foundations that I believe are leaders, institutions that I believe pave the way for people to succeed in life, organizations that have a mission. . To serve and generate trust, as well as generate prosperity. That’s the American dream.”

Source: Hollywood Reporter