WASHINGTON – Actor Matthew McConaughey made a 20-minute plea in support of gun control legislation on Tuesday at the White House.
McConaughey met with grieving families and visited a memorial after an 18-year-old shooter killed two teachers and 19 students on May 24 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
“We are in a window of opportunity right now that we have not been in before; a window where it seems like real change, real change, can happen,” McConaughey said.
The Oscar-winning leading man, who was born in Uvalde, said legislation that still protects the Second Amendment is possible.
“I promise you, America, you and me, we are not as divided as we are being told we are,” McConaughey said.
The Austin American-Statesman published his opinion on Monday calling for background checks for all gun purchases; a 21 age requirement for buying assault rifles, a waiting period, and “red flag” laws.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said McConaughey met with President Joe Biden before delivering his public statement.
McConaughey told some of the stories of the victims. He showed a drawing by Alithia Ramirez, a 10-year-old victim who had dreamed of studying fine arts in Paris.
He asked his wife Camila Alves to hold up a pair of green high-top Converse with a heart on the right toe. McConaughey said these belonged to Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, a 10-year-old aspiring marine biologist.
“These are the same green Converse on her feet that turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her at the shooting,” he said before banging on the podium. “How about that?”
McConaughey said Eliahna “Ellie” Amyah Garcia was already helping the family with landscaping work. Before she died, he said she was preparing to read Deuteronomy 6:5 at her uncle’s church’s Wednesday night service.
“That’s who Ellie was becoming, but she never got to read it,” he said.
McConaughey said Irma Garcia, one of the two teachers killed, and her husband Joe Garcia, who died of a heart attack after, had a “fairy tale love story” before the shooting. He described them as “humble” and “hard-working” people.
“This was an amazing family. Camila and I, we sat with about 20 members of their family in the living room, along with their four kids. They were 23, 19, 15, and 13,” he said. “They shared all these stories about Irma and Joe, about how they served the community, hosted all these parties. Irma and Joe were planning to get a food truck together when they soon retired.”
McConaughey said Uvaldi residents will need counselors for a long time. He said the families of the victims really want to make the loss of life matter.
“We start by making laws that save innocent lives and don’t infringe on our Second Amendment rights. We start right now by voting to pass policies that can keep us from having as many Columbines, Sandy Hooks, Parklands, Las Vegas, Buffalos, and Uvaldis from here on.”
McConaughey read the names of the other victims: Jackie Cazares, Makenna Lee Elrod, Nevaeh Bravo, Jose Manuel Flores Jr., Xavier Lopez, Tess Marie Mata, Rojelio Torres, Eliahna A. Torres, Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, Uziyah Garcia, Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, Jailah Nicole Silguero, Amerie Jo Garza, Alexandria “Lexi” Aniyah Rubio, Layla Salazar, Maranda Mathis, and their teacher Eva Mireles.
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Torres contributed to this report from Miami.