For a few years, Matthew McConaughey has been flirting with Texas’s state politics and there were strong rumors that he would run for governor. The issue was no one knew if Matthew is a Democrat or Republican, and he was mostly incoherent on important, vital issues. In the immediate wake of the Uvalde massacre two weeks ago, McConaughey once again chimed in, posting a statement on his social media in which he didn’t mention the words “gun control” or “Republicans are to blame” or “the party of slaughtered children.”
I will give McConaughey credit for something though. He went to Uvalde. It’s his hometown, it’s where he was raised, it’s where he grew up. He went back to Uvalde with his wife Camila and they spent time with the families of murdered children. He spent time with the local coffin maker and congregations in crisis. And it changed him. He was invited to speak at the podium of the White House press room on Tuesday. Camila joined him. She held a pair of Converse sneakers belonging to 10-year-old Maite Rodriguez, who was murdered in her classroom. The only way Maite was identified was through the sneakers. Here’s the full press conference:
McConaughey spoke about how there is currently a “window of opportunity” to pass meaningful gun control legislation, like universal background checks, raising the minimum age for purchasing an AR-15 and implementing red flag laws. He said: “Responsible gun owners are fed up with the Second Amendment being abused and hijacked by some deranged individuals. These regulations are not a step back — they’re a step forward for a civil society and, and the Second Amendment.”
He spoke at length about what he saw in Uvalde and the pain and anger within the town. He said, “We got to take a sober, humble, and honest look in the mirror and rebrand ourselves based on what we truly value. What we truly value. We got to get some real courage and honor our immortal obligations instead of our party affiliations…Enough with the counterpunching. Enough of the invalidation of the other side. Let’s come to the common table that represents the American people. Find a middle ground, the place where most of us Americans live anyway.” Again, I’m not going to criticize him, but I also don’t think there’s a middle ground to be had with the Party of Slaughtered Children. There was a window of opportunity after Sandy Hook as well… and the Party of Slaughtered Children decided that they were fine with babies being slaughtered in classrooms.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
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- Washington, DIST – Matthew McConaughey, a native of Uvalde, Texas, father, and gun owner, joins White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at the daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. Pictured: Matthew McConaughey BACKGRID USA 7 JUNE 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DIST – Matthew McConaughey, a native of Uvalde, Texas, father, and gun owner, joins White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at the daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. Pictured: Camila Alves BACKGRID USA 7 JUNE 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DIST – Matthew McConaughey, a native of Uvalde, Texas, father, and gun owner, joins White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at the daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. Pictured: Matthew McConaughey BACKGRID USA 7 JUNE 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
His speech was heartfelt and sincere. I watched the whole thing and cried. I think he’s right when he says that we aren’t as divided and we think on this issue, most ppl (even republicans) want background checks and for the age to be raised to 21, this isn’t an outlandish thought and I do believe the politicians that are bought by the NRA might not agree but most of their constituents do. I was in Texas last weekend for a graduation and spoke to some people who felt very strongly about this. Of course there is lots of crazies out there but most reasonable people think this would be The right move
I 100% agree with you. Kaiser, I also think that referring to those with whom you have to negotiate as “the party of slaughtered children” further sends people to their corners and doesn’t advance the cause. Be better. We may not WANT to need them, but we need them – at least 10 of them.
@Sarahlee- if you are more about losing your guns than children getting killed on their literal last day of school, then you deserve to be called every name in the book.
As a teacher who regularly worries about getting shot at work, I’m tired of being nice and not mincing words anymore. The absolute refusal of Republicans to even consider any additional gun control regulations is disgusting. Using nicer words isn’t going to get them on our side, so screw ’em.
I’m tired of idiots. It’s not even logistical possible to take away your guns and that logic is no longer acceptable. And saying bans don’t work when they try to ban everyone and everything they don’t like isn’t flying anymore. Republicans don’t have any appropriate arguments to stand on when it comes to their gun stances. Their beliefs are not valid. I’m tired of people acting like I need to treat their opinions with respect. I watched actual footage from Columbine as part of shooter training for work. It was horrifying.
If you can see this happen, see babies murdered at school, and just consider it the price to pay to bear arms… you are sick. You are psychotic, in fact. I don’t need to play nice with you.
@Rupunzel I am so sorry and I am enraged that the responsibility for safety has been but on underfunded and undersupported teachers, like you, and children. I would not be the person I am today if I had to do active shooter drills throughout my schooling.
That we now accept these attacks in schools as inevitable is having a serious and grave effect on children and teachers—and their families— health and we ignore it. We need to stop giving these pro-mass death people (Congress, the NRA) the grace of not calling them what they are: dangerous; domestic terrorists; facilitators of mass murder.
@SarahLee – except that they’ve LITERALLY said that the right to gun ownership outweighs the horror of mass shootings, including the mass murder of children.
they’ve said that “mass shootings are just a part of life when you live in a free society” or something like that.
they ARE the party of slaughtered children.
and Rapunzel – 100 F*CKING PERCENT. This “we must be nice” and “we must try to relate” and “we must negotiate with”…NO. F*CK THAT. I will NOT be nice to people who think like they do. I will NOT be nice to people who say “f*ck your feelings”. I will NOT be nice to people who think that their right to have an arsenal of military-grade weapons is more important than the safety of SCHOOL CHILDREN.
Being the “nice” ones has never worked for Democrats. it’s time to fight dirty, like the GQP does.
I agree with this sentiment. Most republicans want responsible gun ownership. Even my parents think owning AR-15s is crazy town. However, they’ve been sold a bill of lies that Democrats are coming to take their guns. I like to tell this story when this topic comes up. My husband hunts and is part of a camp that is very involved in bringing up the next generation. My dad made a joke about guns, and I mentioned that my 6 year old had shot his first rifle. He stopped and said, ‘you don’t hate guns?’ I told him, ‘no, I don’t’. So, he said’ it’s just about safety?’ Then I told him yes, I just want to make sure that they are used safely, and that’s what most people want when they talk about gun control. He got real quiet. It’s not easy to talk to him about politics, I don’t know if he believes me that that is really what most people want, but I think that is what he wants as well.
But if those Republicans like your dad vote for candidates who vote against reasonable gun ownership, then they actually don’t want reasonable gun ownership. But I guess America’s republican voters won’t change their minds until it’s their kid or family member who are gunned down.
@eggbert as Steve Scalise is proving, even those Republicans actually shot don’t seem to be able to support gun control measures. Where now do we turn?
@Eggbert I’m kind of tired of this take. They’ll keep voting republican, sure. My point is, I don’t think that republicans will lose their base if they actually start voting to implement some of the most basic gimme gun control laws.
I keep hearing about these “reasonable” Republicans. When are we going to admit that this is an oxymoron.
If you voted Republican you voted for everything they stand for. There is nothing reasonable about any of the Republican agenda.
They are the Party of Slaughtered Children and will remain so until they stop taking NRA money. These are just the facts.
If you don’t want to be painted with that brush then make a different choice. There is no reasoning with unreasonable people.
right. if you want more gun control measures but are voting for Abbott, then you don’t actually support gun control measures. The best way to tell politicians what you support is at the voting booth.
Same thing with abortion – its said that most americans support access to abortion and aren’t in favor of a total ban, and yet voters keep electing republicans who refuse to codify abortion rights.
@BaronSamedi, I agree 100%. If you vote Republican, you don’t get to opt out of everything the Republicans stand for (Trump, McConnell etc.) There’s no such thing as a “reasonable” Republican voter these days.
@ Becks1, you are absolutely right!! I was shocked that that POS Patrick won his seat at the primary. He has 2 investigations happening at this very moment but they STILL supported him, WTF??? The entire Texas legislature is a shambles!!
The response that Cruz gave in regards to the Uvalde shooting is to wants start arming teachers now. If this idiotic statement comes to fruition, we will have a massive exodus of Teachers. He is an incompetent senator and human being.
Houston has become taken the baton away from Chicago and has become the deadliest city of gun killings, yet they want to focus on the parents of transgender be subjected to investigations within the CPS. The CPS case loads were already over burdened, but let’s add on the parents of transgender children.
We have to start mobilizing to get every one to the polls!! We have to vote ALL of these people out of office. The residents of Oklahoma need to vote out their Governor. The Repugnant’s are party first, and constituents last. They only work to advance their personal agenda, nothing more. We are seeing what happens when you have a party that is driven by pure control and power.
Unless MM is standing behind banning AR-15 assault rifles, I don’t care what he says. There were designed solely for military use. No one should have access to them, period! And no more donations from the NRA.
@BothSidesNow, you’re right about the Oklahoma gov. He’s been trying to strip power from the tribes. He is the worst gov in history.
Spot on, BaronSamedi.
If you’re voting for a Republican, you’re on board with:
– offering other people’s children as human sacrifices to your gun god
– sweeping away women’s rights. Women will soon have fewer rights to bodily autonomy than a corpse has, and they won’t be stopping at abortion.
– ending the American Experiment. She’s a flawed old country and needs work, but I prefer our imperfect democracy to outright fascism.
The GOP is fascist.
Agreed!
In what other political party do people campaign practically masturbating with their guns to court votes – and, even worse, win? This is on the republicans – no one else!
The minute there is a shooting they haul out their old party lines and ratchet up their tired rhetoric – mental health issue, not guns, the demise of the 1950’s family model, not guns……………they want to take all our guns away (wahhhh), socialism……OMG!!!
Sick of kowtowing and sick of the republican orchestrated blockade for all civilized legislation we see again and again in congress.
Once he began to “both sides/ both parties” the whole thing, I stopped the vid. As if the party who actually *wants and legislates* gun safety is doing anything to prevent it. F that guy.
The both sides/both parties trope is utter bullsh*t…………I’m tired of hearing this gaslighting mantra. There is only one party that refuses to govern to provide for a civilized society…………only one!
Also, why the f**k does ANY private citizen need an semi-automatic/automatic weapon?! If these people get off by shooting them, let them be available to rent at a shooting ranges under strict guidelines.
What is wrong with a society that accepts the death of anyone (let alone children) as the price to pay to appease gun nuts?
The US had an assault weapon ban from 1994 to 2004. It wasn’t a perfect ban but deaths declined 40+%.
Yes @ Truthiness. But I didn’t hear MM mention banning them assault rifles. Nor did I hear him criticize the Repugnant’s refusal to take the issue of gun violence seriously enough to pass laws. There is no sweeping actions across Repugnant’s in the Senate or Governor’s for that matter that are taking action in their own.
I would like to address the usual tagline that Repugnant’s, like Abbott, use the SAME fucking excuse after every mass shooting, “this was done by hands of someone that has serious mental health issues”. Code for gun regulation will NOT change the occurrences of Mass shootings.
Unless I see action taken immediately by Repugnant’s, I refuse to believe that they are concerned about the issue of mass shootings across all of these states.
My husband went to Santana High School and was in the quad when the shooting happened. He firmly believes that the only reason he is alive right now and that “only” two students died was because it was in 2001 and the ban was still in place, so the shooter was forced to steal his father’s revolver instead.
NZ managed to ban assault rifles after ONE HORRIFIC mass shooting.
Once upon a time, we had a ban as well. God knows *WHY* WE gave our ban a time span!
After what he’s been coming out with recently I’m pleasantly surprised by this. Now, whether the majority will is enough to make a difference to the elected officials who only stand for the most extreme end of the spectrum on so many aspects of life in your country is another matter.
I was okayish with it until he started talking about needing a return to “traditional values.” That’s an alt right dog whistle right there.
Also, raising the minimum age for who can but a AR-15 is bullsh*t. No private citizen needs an AR-15. End of story.
That’s MM not wanting to TOTALLY alienate “the base” in case he decides to really make a run for office.
I see this more as a calculated mood to try and cater (Texas is the best, I love my guns, God & Heaven) to the party of slaughtered children enough that they will consider SOMETHING.
I’m thankful that he is using his platform to speak up in an official way. I am trying so hard not to be cynical and pessimistic.
I’m desperately hoping he changes some GOP minds. Their leadership immediately went into overdrive in a panic to discredit Matt which tells you they are afraid. Maybe more influential people will step up.
Unfortunately Fox was mocking him last night for so I feel like if people were inclined to change their minds, Fox probably shut that down. Never mind the hypocrisy of them saying a Hollywood actor should stay in his lane when they routine have D-list celebs advocating for all kinds of things.
It’s his hometown. It’s where he grew up and went to school. That pretty much makes it his lane. Definitely more so than some commentator on faux news . He also has children who go to school. Pretty sure speaking up about gun violence in schools is every parents’ lane.
“Never mind the hypocrisy of them saying a Hollywood actor should stay in his lane”. This is the same party that elected two actors (well, an actor, and a reality TV show celebrity) as President!
Australian here.
I just cannot understand how the argument is now ‘raise the age of buying AR15 to 21’?
Seriously???
Just. Ban. Them??
I really feel for everyone in the US. What a desperate situation.
We want them banned ☹️ The stupid other side doesn’t agree because they are bought by the NRA. Raising the age isn’t the best option, but if that’s what we can get right now I’ll take it. Sad to even say this, I know 😭
Nobody needs to own a machine gun period. I read some stories about how the children’s bodies were so torn apart they had to be identified through DNA. I just can’t anymore…….
@ MsIam, I knew that they had been purposely shot in the face as soon as they asked for DNA. It was an forgone conclusion. AR-15 Assault rifles exit wounds are the size of a grapefruit. Now imagine the destruction of a 10 year old child.
@Gwanda Mom of an 11 year old here. We’re too selfish and money talks too loud. The gun industry contributes 51.3 billion dollars to the U.S. economy annually – we are literally a nation built on death and the sale of death. We sold our souls and don’t know how to get them back. Americans scream “MY RIGHTS” until it’s a Black person, a woman, or someone who is LGBTQ. Then…well, rights don’t matter as much.
@Gwanda, exactly!! Ban them! There is absolutely no need for anyone to own an assault weapon. Time to tell gun-loving Americans that there’s something they are simply not allowed to have.
Canadian here, and I’m in the same boat as you. Just ban the damned guns.
We have some pretty strict gun law here, and weapons like AR-15s were banned in May 2020 and if my memory serves correct, there was little fuss about banning weapons like this.
Why does anyone who is not in the military or police need a weapon like an AR-15 or AK-47?
I was listening to a person who called in to a radio station this morning, and she was arguing with the host of the show, claiming that someone who’s “a good shot” could’ve killed just as many people in Uvalde with a .22 rifle. Is that really what these gun-wacka-doos believe??
American here, and I can assure you many (maybe most?) of us want them banned. It’s ridiculous.
I appreciate that they went to Uvalde and spent time with the families of the victims. I believe he spoke from the heart and that’s admirable. But today a 10 yr old survivor who had to play dead while hearing her classmates die screaming for help has to go to Washington to testify. To beg for change. To beg for help because the Republicans appear to be so afraid of the maniacal base they have nurtured that they would rather see 3rd graders blown to pieces than anger the same nutjobs that stormed the Capitol. Enjoy your monsters, Frankensteins.
@ K, I had read that she was testifying this week. How unscrupulous as a nation are we that we have to have a 10 year old child testify after surviving a mass shooting??
After the inaction of the Sandy Hook massacre, I don’t hold out hope that the Repugnant’s will do the right thing.
Also, there are 2 major pro-gun enthusiasts that are traveling to the Capital this week, or the next, to protest ANY additional gun reform laws.
Speaking of that ten-year-old girl — and I hope this isn’t considered threadjacking, but I know that not everyone on CB is also on Twitter, and that’s where I saw this video last night. It broke me. I texted it to everyone I know. I hope it’s okay to post. They should play it blaring on a loop in the House and the Senate until something finally fcking changes.
https://twitter.com/SteveSchmidtSES/status/1534161467288670208
You know what Fox and Republicans will do. They will attack the child in the media like they did the other children of mass shootings that testify and fight for gun control.
The main issue is that Republicans don’t want to and will not govern. It doesn’t matter what the issue is, even if it is children being murdered. Terrible states, like OH where I currently have the misfortune to live, will just pass bills to arm teachers and call that the solution. I am a state legislative policy and budget analyst and I see the bills getting filed across the states: no matter what anyone thinks, there is a distinct difference between the parties. Republicans work to make people less safe and erode confidence in our democracy so they can reset the clock to pre-1920s America. Rep. Chris Jacobs, a relatively moderate R (if there is still such a thing) from western NY is having to retire after 1 term because he supports gun control. Democrats are all in on this issue and long have been. Republicans are not, and SCOTUS is very likely going to help them along.
Yes @ EnormousCoat, they are expected to release their decision on gun laws next month and it doesn’t look promising. The SCOTUS and the Repugnant’s are ripping this country apart solely to fulfill their OWN personal agenda. As well as the Repugnant’s not wanting to miss out of the millions from the NRA every year.
I’m from San Antonio, 85 miles from Uvalde and I have elementary school children. I was disappointed in MM’s initial response to the shooting. I feel like he did the middle of the road, word salad, thing that he so often does. I never know what his political leanings are.
But I am really surprised, and proud of how he went and listened to the people affected in Uvalde, and developed a stronger stance. And then used his influence to speak on the need for gun reform. And the points he made are ones I think many many Americans agree with, including myself. I appreciate that he did this. Will it make a difference? I don’t know. But a lot of republicans I know here in Texas like him, know he’s “one of us” and listened to this speech. So that is something.
This speech brought me to tears as well. I think he did a good job. I’m really glad he did this.
Texan too: You captured a lot of my thoughts. I respect that MM spent time with the families and came away changed. You’ll never see our current representatives do that — not that anyone wants Ted Cruz around as he poorly attempts to act human. They’re cowards.
My mom, sister, and I will be in Uvalde this Friday for my cousin’s funeral. I’ve been trying to mentally brace myself for this trip.
May your cousin’s memory be for a blessing.
Condolences to your family 💔
@ LaUnicaAngelina, please accept my condolences to you and your family members. Sending you love and strength.
@LaUnicaAngelina — sending you and your family much sympathy.
I’m so sorry for this loss for your family. Sending a virtual hug, and I’ll be thinking of you.
Agree. I don’t think it will make any difference, but I appreciate MM’s efforts here. At the very least, he’s showing voters how their elected officials SHOULD act.
I emailed Lainey about this bc it’s so clear he’s strategizing this w his political goals.-
His initial response WAS lukewarm.
I think two things happened between early days and his speech:
One- his team and handlers who have been semi undercover sussing out his political prospects Had been party agnostic up to this point and prolly leaning GOP for greater chances of winning but the slaughter in Uvalde forced them to wait and see what was gonna happen with public sentiment before he made any kind of strong statements which would necessarily align him with one party or the other. (Also f the two party system.)
Two: Check out the look on his wife’s face. She is not messing around. I suspect if he wants to get laid anytime in the near future there is no way he can touch the GOP at this point. She has empathy and integrity and I suspect is coming on strong behind the scenes for him to do the right thing regardless of his political aspirations.
I’m glad that he’s more or less on the right side of things but I still side Eye his situation- he’s a panderer. Let’s hope Camilla gets him straight on all the issues that matter esp in Texas.
Right wing Hollywood is a small weird circle…and he loves that mailbox money. There would be a lot less if he were hard core GOP
Oops. Wrong spot.
Non-American here, but can someone PLEASE explain to me why so many people are hyped up about the Second Amendment rights? I understand the right to bear arms but don’t see how background checks would in any way impair general gun ownership (unless everyone was shady and failed the checks… which is too simplistic a worry).
In the UK, the majority of the police force aren’t even allowed to carry a gun. I knew someone who had worked in the narcotics department for years and wanted to transfer to a special ops type unit where they did carry guns. He had to go through 3 months of training which consisted of both classroom learning as well as practical lessons, and took theory and practical exams, both of which had a high pass mark. If he failed either, he was not allowed to have a gun, and had to have a cooling off period of months before he could retake the entire thing again. GUNS ARE NO JOKE.
Little children are dying and my brain literally can’t intellectually compute why this is such a controversial topic?
Because FREEDOM! (But only for white, Christian, cis-het men and nobody else)
The loonies in my state are told by the GOP politicians that the democrats are going to take all their guns, and the loonies believe it. It’s sad the way they’re able to manipulate people.
@ MsLove, I have been waiting for this usual fear mongering message from them this time. Every attempt that Democrats present for gun regulations, the Repugnant’s pull out their trusty ol’ handbook of “ the Democrats are coming for ALL of your guns”. It’s pathetic and the usual stance that they take. It’s been used for decades and the idiots buy it every single time.
They have people convinced the “woke mob” wants to take over. It would be hilarious if it weren’t so deadly. The GOP politicians are playing games with people’s lives.
@GA, think of it as brainwashing. I grew up pledging allegiance to the American flag and we were taught American history (including the Constitution) as though it were the absolute best system on the face of the planet. Americans are also fed mostly American news. People who support “gun rights” over common sense are surrounded by people who think the same way they do. The news they watch or read fits their beliefs, and they are unable of understanding the other side. Believe me, I’ve tried to talk to some of them about it, but I cannot get through to them.
As an American born now living in Canada the past 10 years, I felt I honestly was deprogrammed living up in Canada. So much you are told in America is that they are the best at everything, you don’t want to consider any place else because it is worse. Why a lot of Americans don’t hold a passport or travel, part of it is they really believe it is worse everywhere else(some can’t afford to so they dont bother with a passport). The best at everything is honestly propaganda to get Americans to just accept the bad things (racism, 2nd amendment rights, voter suppression, abortion limitations, outrageous healthcare and prescription drug costs) because if you believe this is the best it is going to get and you hear horror stories about other places, you won’t want it improved. Living and traveling outside of the US has been eyeopening for me and shown me how insular and arrogant the US can be.
Racism. That’s all it is. It’s code for we need to be able to kill non-white people at the drop of a dime. When these 2nd amendment people like Matt, who preach responsible gub ownership as a means to stop government overreach, they don’t consider non-white people. They weren’t up in arms over the murder of Philando Castille. The gun lobby is connected to many other lobbies that push the white replacement theory in order to justify allowing anyone (white and male) owning military grade weaponry. These people even supported allowing domestic abusers to obtain firearms, people who were involuntarily committed to a psych ward and in places like my state, you can open carry everywhere except a bank.
The right to bear arms is baked into our constitution because back when we were a colony, the British often refused to allow Americans to carry firearms because they (justifiably, it turns out) feared that the Americans would carry out an armed insurrection/revolution against them.
The exact words in the Second Amendment are:
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
So, the original amendment was written in the context of assuring a right/privilege that had been denied by the British. But 250 years ago, it was written entirely in the context of the defense of a civil society. It wasn’t written about the need for children with severe mental illness to have immediate access to automatic weapons or giving white supremacists a platform to violently spread their hatred.
You have to go back to the 60s and the Civil Rights Movement. Black activists like the Black Panthers decided ‘hey, the right to bear arms includes us, right?’ So they started arming themselves for safety and that’s when the NRA really took off and started lobbying as an arm of southern white supremacy.
Because Hillary Clinton, Obama and Kamala Harris are all coming to take their guns away.
I am a founding member of the choir, and so don’t need any convincing, but his statement reduced me to tears and I felt it was directed to the audience that **needs** to pay attention to where the vast majority of Americans are sitting on these issues. God, I hope so.
I grew up in a family of responsible gun owners who respected the risk and destruction firearms and long guns represent. Many years ago I went to gun shows with my dad and was appalled (and terrified) at the arsenal available to anyone who wants it. We are broken and have been for generations. The craven NRA A++ politicians have allowed this national crisis to develop and grow so far out of control that any measures they are forced to agree to now are like bailing out the Titanic with a mop bucket.
I am not a founding member of the choir. But I was utterly appalled at the huge knowledge gaps in MM’s speech (stump speech?). Is everybody in truth-denying Texas so woefully ignorant about the effects of assault rifles?
Grew up in home with multiple rifles. First handgun experience was shooting at jackrabbits out of pickup bouncing around in rural Nevada. Fortunately cousin also used .357 Magnum to kill rattlesnake nesting in barn. But our usual armament against rattlesnakes were shovels carried for irrigation chores. Not much use for guns after moving to city.
FWIW would recommend reading “Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America” by former firearms exec, Ryan Busse. Gun control sentiment, at least prior to Uvalde, had been moving toward ‘less regulation’ and the NRA has been 100% behind that change.
In my state, GOP politicians run on abortion, 2nd amendment rights and, of all things, trans athletes competing in sports. I don’t know if MM’s middle of the road message will work here, I give him points for tying though.
The 2nd amendment is a single sentence, with FAR too much emphasis put on the “right of the people to keep and bear Arms” part and next to zero on the “well regulated” part. For every gun nut that screams about their constitutional right, it’s right there in black and white…gun control is also constitutional.
And was written at a time when guns had to be reloaded so how much relevance does it have to automatic weapons?
ZERO relevance to modern life in any capacity.
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
So you are an originalist in one sense only?
** Important distinction – he literally said he was not talking about gun control, he was talking about “gun responsibility.” He was clear on that from the start. His devotion and support for the community is incredible, but he was explicit that it is not “gun control” that he is after. I don’t think you can be pro gun control but not want assault rifles to be outright banned.
Yeah, I will criticize him. He left the white house to immediately appear on Fox News & blame both sides for there not already being gun control laws in place.
He’s still talking out of both sides of his mouth.
I knew he would.
Somebody gave him a phone call.
Because that’s who needs convincing. The people watching MSNBC are already card-carrying members of the choir. So, good for him for trying to talk to Fox News viewers, who are the only constituents GOP politicians listen to.
Did you see what he said on Fox News? He pulled the old “both parties are just as bad” and characterized the differences between their stances as “drama.” The fact of the matter is that gun sales go up after mass shootings, not down. There is no convincing this lot. They are sadistic nihilists. The cruelty and murder are the point. These guns represent the rights of white cis-het Christian men to defend themselves against everyone else. The truth is, based on their own words, they are itching for any controversy to give them a reason to kill someone. As our great ancestor Maya Angelou said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” How many times do these people have to vote in the craziest Republicans who implement the craziest gun laws in order for you to believe them?
MM is a privileged white man who can get up here and tell us that we should meet in the middle. There’s no middle ground on an assault rifle. If you get hit with one, you will not survive. When we had the assault weapons ban, shootings like these dropped 40%. There is no such thing as “gun responsibility” without such a ban, in addition to other regulations, because anything less is irresponsible.
Biden was an absolute fool to allow this clout chaser speak in the White House. He should have someone who has actually lost someone or survived a mass murder. There are plenty of worthy activists who are actually educated on the issue who deserve to have their views heard from such a large platform. Again, a rich white man who lost nothing gets to speak on behalf of a brown community. How this is getting such praise here is beyond me.
They have already started trying to discredit Matthew. They will soon start dissing his black wife and find stuff about other members of his family to disrespect.
Greed and hatred rule the Republican party and the whole country has to suffer for it.
Yup @ girl_ninja! They are only interested in having control over our reproductive health, the rights of transgender children to live with the chance to become who they feel that they are inside, supporting lower tax breaks for the 1% and whatever personal issues that they want to advance.
The GOP are a party of fear mongering and power obsessed people with an insatiable thirst. They will not change. Not in my lifetime anyway.
I was not impressed. He went to a Democrat White House and still had no message.
There was nothing spectacular about what he said. In fact, it upsets me more because school shooting pandemic has been around for over a decade before it hit his front door.
@ Tiffany, agreed. If this had been important to him, where was he after Sandy Hook or the Las Vegas shooting. Or even the El Paso shooting of as many Latinos as possible???
WTF MM didn’t you speak up and out after those mass shootings took place????
Good on M.Mc for adding his voice…..but I…. can’t help thinking that he might think he knows about laws and stuff ’cause he played a Lawyer in a movie (book was better too.)
Just the shoes!!!!!! OMG.
The shoes gutted me. Good for him for honestly trying to help. I pray we can start to get some kind of sanity on the gun debate. It’s evil that we are living like this and terrorizing a generation of children for NRA money
I’m not really a fan of his, and his political speeches tend to irritate me. However, I did believe he was horrified by Uvalde and found his speech at the White House fairly effective. At the end of the day, if he gets Republicans to pass some gun laws, this is better than what we now have.
I am grateful he came to the table. No one needs an AR 15 or any other automatic weapon unless you are fighting in a war under military command. Don’t talk to me about hunting. Are the deer wearing tactical gear and fighting back?
The ownership age of any firearm should be at least 25. There is still brain development going on between age 21 and 25/26. I don’t know where this age 21 benchmark ever came from. Just because it’s the drinking age? Well the drinking age should be 25 as well.
There is a glaring loophole within families. Take Sandy Hook, those weapons were owned by a suburban mom who checked all the boxes, but could not admit to herself just how mentally ill her son was. She was in denial, and provided him with weapons. And the Waffle House shooter in Nashville as well, whose dad gave him back his weapons when he moved out of state despite obvious signs of schizophrenia in his son.
O Holy Surprise. Another mass shooting. Another person who wants to blame mentally ill people. Forget HIPPAA. Forget the fact that mentally ill people are more likely to be victims of gun violence rather than perpetrators. Forget the fact that 60% of gun deaths are suicides, rather than victims of mass shootings. Why do people absorb NRA ‘mentally ill’ talking points?
No celeb is going to bring change.
The gun lobby, NRA has been throwing huge money and power for decades.
I’ll criticize him, Kaiser:
He needs to read before he speaks on behalf of his (former) community in such an official capacity. He needs to have the skill for critical reading of policy, policy analysis, political analysis. He needs to read from gun control advocates and even abolitionists since a big component of this massacre was the police response.
He was moved because he is not without his humanity, but he is a deeply ignorant man. There is no middle ground, Matthew. There are only policies which ensure mass pre-mature death. Our politicians will either move to remove those policies or seek to further entrench those policies through obstruction, appointing radicals to the judiciary. That’s it. And if this fool READ he would know that and speak to that. But he doesn’t read. And he is too ignorant to be speaking at that podium.
If he read, he could speak to the utter grotesque situation that these families will not be able to afford the years health care and rehabilitation they need to physically, mentally heal from the massacre because the Congress refuses to give us universal healthcare. That the adults of these families may not be able to vote out their political reps because of gerrymandering and voter suppression that Congress refuses to counteract and combat. If he read he would speak to all of that and lay out plain the true question: do you want to keep causing pre-mature death? Democrats, do you hold your Republican colleagues comfort more dear by pretending they work with you or will you fight for our lives? A fight is not “bipartisan”. There is no middle ground in the fight for life.
I am so sick and tired of dumb, ignorant millionaire celebrities sucking up precious attention to say nothing that truly gets to the heart of what’s killing us in this country: Congress people, and judges who WANT Uvalde massacres. Because if they didn’t, they would act to craft and implement policy that prevents them.
This. Is the state we find ourselves in. You articulated the systemic reasons his words were mealymouthwd nonsense.
I still think he might run as a Republican
I have a sick feeling Republican leadership was waiting to see how they did in the voting this week. I really believe if they don’t fare well they might “compromise ” a bit more. My heart is broken. This horror will continue and they don’t care. In the meantime these same maniacs think an IUD is murder. God help us
I’m so tired of this “both sides” crap, and blaming democrats for not saying exactly the right thing to suddenly change the minds of republican voters. Slaughtered children haven’t changed their minds. I bet you McConaughey in Uvalde didn’t discuss with the residence their elected officials’ voting record in regards to gun control and funding for mental health, and how they should stop voting for these morons. If you vote for politicians who vote against gun legislation, then you are the problem.
Adding on, I’d love to know who McConaughey votes for because if it’s republican who always vote against “reasonable gun ownership” then he needs to sit down.
I’m listening to people that were impacted/witnesses/victims of the mass shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo testifying before the house committee on gun violence on C-Span right now.
We are screwed.
These idiots that we have voted for can’t even have a normal discussion without arguing/yelling at each other. While they are doing that there is probably at least another mass shooting happening in this country somewhere.
I don’t care if someone is a democrat, republican, independent, green party, ganja party, toga party, whatever, if they can agree that reasonable gun control laws benefit everyone and are not going to rob you of whatever God-given right people feel to own a firearm. I may hate you on Tuesday, but on Monday we agree.
So I haven’t read MM’s autobiography, but according to a tweet, MM admitted in his book that he and his fam have voted for hardline republicans their whole lives. So yeah, I’ll pass on whatever MM has to say.
https://twitter.com/josemolinatv/status/1534331314459099136?s=21&t=OJal6qwg5LmbSIm7oWPBDA
I will give credit where credit is due. He did a good thing, his speech was sincere and I hope it makes a difference.
That said, the term “counterpunching” rings alarm bells. There is no both-siding this issue. Gun control is vital. People are getting killed. One “side” has been trying to do something about it for years, and the other side has been stopping them because they are afraid of the NRA and ammoholic voters.. Period. End of.
Only one “side” is to blame for this. There is no point in pulling punches.
AnneL – Agreed on all points.
For those who are disgusted that the firearm manufacturers marketing arm, NRA, is politically outspending all gun control efforts, consider donations:
1. Everytown for Gun Safety, & Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America;
2. The Brady Campaign;
3. Americans for Responsible Solutions, Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence & Giffords Law Center;
4. Coalition to Stop Gun Violence;
5. Violence Policy Center;
6. Johns Hopkins Center For Gun Violence Solutions;
7. March for Our Lives;
8. Alliance for Gun Responsibility.
For those of you who feel you need a little more information, or need a refresher, or don’t want MM to accuse you of ‘other siding’ the issue, consider the actual data:
https://www.opensecrets.org/news/issues/guns
For those of you who would like more data about mass shootings consider Mother Jones database maintained since 1982:
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/mass-shootings-mother-jones-full-data/
For those of you who think assault weapons ban is the solution, consider working actively within your own locale or state to effect that change. No, it won’t stop banned weapons from bleeding over the line from other cities or states. But it can’t hurt.
MM is finding straddling both sides getting harder. He could end up with a torn hamstring.
Yeah. Today he listed Parkland in his diatribe. But remember when he was worried that young Parkland survivors were going to “hijack” the gun control movement? Wouldn’t be as critical if he showed ability for reflection and sorrow over his prior stances.
That was powerful.
I’m unmoved by his speech. Ultimately, it was cowardly, wishy-washy “both sides” dreck on gun control.
What is raiding the gun purchasing age by 2 whole years going to do? Let a psycho commit mass murder at 21 instead of 18.
The problem is that the Uvalde shooter was able to legally purchase semi-automatic weapons period.
I am filing his speech under ‘thoughts and prayers’ if he really wants change. He can get off the pot and run for office. And actually do something.
*Both* sides? As in “There are good people on both sides”? I guess he doesn’t want to disenchant the base.