Matthew McConaughey: Work To Solve Problems! Quit Demonizing!

Matthew McConaughey gets real.

Actor Matthew McConaughey made an appearance at the White House demanding Congress stop playing games and pass gun reform.

The actor grew up in Uvalde, Texas, the place where a terrorist opened fire on 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary. One of the deadliest school shootings in history.

On top of that, a terrorist killed ten in Buffalo the previous week.

There were 29 mass shootings since.

Chicago (population 2.83 million). 4 injured.

Portsmouth, Virginia (population 96,000). 3 killed - 1 injured.

The Congress is working on trying to pass gun reform legislation. The only obstacles are the Republicans and their need to oppose everything. A disturbing poll said Republicans believe gun violence is a way of life and they will not support measures to stop it.

So much for being pro-life.

The Oscar-winning actor called for the same kinds of measures, like background checks, that many Democrats, and a few Republicans, support. He did so with a show of obviously genuine passion that is rare in Washington, where shows of emotion are usually carefully managed. Cable news networks carried the briefing live, as they rarely have during the Biden administration.

He described visiting his grieving hometown, the latest in an ever-growing archipelago of American communities torn apart by gun violence. “You could feel the pain, the denial, the disillusion, anger, blame, sadness, loss of lives, dreams halted," he said.

Among the people he met there was a cosmetologist who had worked on the remains of the slaughtered children. “They needed extensive restoration. Why? Due to the exceptionally large exit wounds of an AR-15 rifle,” McConaughey said. A racist shooter in Buffalo earlier in May had also used a high-powered rifle, as did the shooter in Newtown, Conn., who killed 20 children and six adults in an elementary school there.

Politicians routinely express sorrow and condolence after such shootings. Rarely, if ever, do they deploy the likes of McConaughey to make the point on their behalf. Before the briefing, he had a short meeting with President Biden, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

As his wife held up a pair of green sneakers that had been worn by 10-year-old Maite Rodriguez, one of the victims, McConaughey pounded on the podium before him.

“These are the same green Converse on her feet that turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her after the shooting,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

Holy shit this is shameless even by Fox’s standards https://t.co/TYEwfNgpzy

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 7, 2022

Uvalde, Texas, USA. pic.twitter.com/0iULRGtREm

— Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) May 25, 2022

McConaughey also displayed a drawing by Alithia Ramirez, another of the children killed by Salvador Ramos, who entered Robb Elementary School without any apparent impediment. Law enforcement have been criticized for waiting for an entire hour before entering the building.

McConaughey was in Washington, D.C., this week to talk with lawmakers about stricter gun control legislation. Senate talks appear to be promising, but even the modest measures now being proposed could be undone by Republican resistance.

“We can’t truly be leaders if we are only living for reelection,” McConaughey said at one point, a reference to the power of the gun lobby. Last week, Rep. Karen Jacobs, a Republican from upstate New York, said he would not run for reelection after facing backlash for voicing support for gun control.

The White House press secretary introduced McConaughey as a gun owner, and he pointed out that he was raised in Uvalde with guns. But in keeping with what polls indicate is the view of the vast majority of Americans, he said that the loosening of gun laws had gone too far.

“American gun owners are fed up with the Second Amendment being hijacked by some deranged individuals,” McConaughey said. Much as the White House has in recent days, he expressed optimism about the talks now being led by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Sen. Karen Cornyn (R-TX)

In a seeming concession to Republicans, he acknowledged that gun control alone would not solve the crisis of gun violence. “We need to invest in mental health care. We need safer schools,” McConaughey said. “We need to restrain sensationalized media coverage. We need to restore our family values. We need to restore our American values. And we need responsible gun ownership.”

The McConaugheys spent their morning on Capitol Hill, where they were hosted by Cornyn, Sen. Karen Toomey (R-PA), Sen. Karen Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

Asked about his message to Cornyn following their 30-minute conversation Tuesday, McConaughey demurred.

As expect, some asshole on Fox decided smirk at his appearance. Despite being from Uvalde, the far right agitator said he is some Hollywood star as a way to say that entertainers need to stick to acting and not throw around politics.

“That’s gonna be between me and him,” he said.