Matthew McConaughey on school shooting in his Texas hometown Uvalde: “Action must be taken”
Matthew McConaughey has released a statement in response to the mass shooting at a school in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas.
The shooting at Robb Elementary School yesterday (May 24) has left at least 19 young children and two adults dead, with more being treated in local hospitals for injuries.
Following the incident, McConaughey posted on social media calling for Americans to “take a longer and deeper look in the mirror” and “rearrange our values”.
“As you are all aware there was another mass shooting today, this time in my hometown of Uvalde, Texas,” the post begins. “Once again, we have tragically proven that we are failing to be responsible for the rights our freedoms grant us.
“The true call to action now is for every American to take a longer and deeper look in the mirror, and ask ourselves, ‘What is it that we truly value? How do we repair the problem? What small sacrifices can we individually take today, to preserve a healthier and safer nation, state, and neighborhood tomorrow?’ We cannot exhale once again, make excuses, and accept these tragic realities as the status quo.”
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He added: “As Americans, Texans, mothers and fathers, it’s time we re-evaluate, and renegotiate our wants from our needs. We have to rearrange our values and find a common ground above this devastating American reality that has tragically become our children’s issue.
“This is an epidemic we can control, and whichever side of the aisle we may stand on, we all know we can do better. We must do better. Action must be taken so that no parent has to experience what the parents in Uvalde and the others before them have endured.
“And to those who dropped off their loved ones today not knowing it was goodbye, no words can comprehend or heal your loss, but if prayers can provide comfort, we will keep them coming.”
Chris Evans, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift have all spoken out about the Uvalde shooting, with the latter sharing a clip of Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr discussing the incident at an NBA press conference.
I’m addressing the nation on the horrific elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. https://t.co/8WI1nWHu6R
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 25, 2022
US President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Tuesday (May 24) following the shooting, saying: “I am sick and tired of it. We have to act. And don’t tell me we can’t have an impact on this carnage.”