{"id":459502,"date":"2022-06-08T15:06:09","date_gmt":"2022-06-08T12:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/matthew-mcconaugheys-appeal-for-unity-over-guns\/"},"modified":"2022-06-08T15:06:09","modified_gmt":"2022-06-08T12:06:09","slug":"matthew-mcconaugheys-appeal-for-unity-over-guns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/matthew-mcconaugheys-appeal-for-unity-over-guns\/","title":{"rendered":"#Matthew McConaughey\u2019s appeal for unity over guns"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a27d1e68d0d6\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a27d1e68d0d6\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/matthew-mcconaugheys-appeal-for-unity-over-guns\/#%E2%80%9CMatthew_McConaugheys_appeal_for_unity_over_guns%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Matthew McConaughey\u2019s appeal for unity over guns&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CMatthew_McConaugheys_appeal_for_unity_over_guns%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Matthew McConaughey\u2019s appeal for unity over guns&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<div class=\"inline-module inline-module--columnist inline-module--author\">\n<div class=\"inline-module--author__img\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"76\" height=\"69\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/Piers-Morgan.png?w=76&amp;h=69&amp;crop=1\" class=\"attachment-nyp_columnist size-nyp_columnist\" alt=\"Piers Morgan\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/Piers-Morgan.png 152w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/Piers-Morgan.png?w=114 114w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/Piers-Morgan.png?w=76 76w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/01\/Piers-Morgan.png?w=38 38w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 76px) 100vw, 76px\"\/>        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>I can\u2019t get the image out of my mind.<\/p>\n<p>That pair of green Converse sneakers, being held on her knees by Matthew McConaughey\u2019s wife Camila as he spoke with searing passion at the White House about the Uvalde school massacre.<\/p>\n<p>The simple hand-drawn black heart above the big toe on the right foot shoe.<\/p>\n<p>They belonged to Maite Rodriquez, a 9-year-old girl who was annihilated so horrendously in her classroom that the distinctive sneakers were the only way anyone could identify her afterward.<\/p>\n<p>I have a 10-year-old daughter who wears sneakers and loves to draw.<\/p>\n<p>I cannot comprehend the magnitude of such horror.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t want to comprehend it.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just\u2026 incomprehensible.<\/p>\n<p>McConaughey, who was born and raised in Uvalde, didn\u2019t try to make sense of it.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, he stood at the world\u2019s most powerful podium, his voice shaking with raw emotion, and told us the stories of each of those 19 young victims.<\/p>\n<p>And it was when he got to Maite, and her sneakers, that I felt my eyes sting with tears.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaite wore green high-top Converse with a heart she had hand-drawn on the right toe because they represented her love of nature,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-04.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Matthew McConaughey is overcome with emotion as he holds an image of Alithia Ramirez, 10, who was killed in the Uvalde massacre.\" class=\"wp-image-22573603\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-04.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-04.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-04.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Matthew McConaughey is overcome with emotion as he holds an image of Alithia Ramirez, 10, who was killed in the Uvalde massacre.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Evan Vucci\/AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-07.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Camila Alves McConaughey holds the green Converse sneakers that were worn by Uvalde shooting victim Maite Yuleana Rodriguez.\" class=\"wp-image-22573675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-07.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-07.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-07.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Camila McConaughey holds the green Converse sneakers that were worn by Uvalde shooting victim Maite Rodriguez.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Susan Walsh\/AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Then he addressed his wife, sitting quietly to the side.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCamila has got these shoes. Can you show these shoes, please?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The camera switched to the sneakers sitting on Camila\u2019s knees.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-08.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Camila McConaughey wipes a tear away while holding Maite Yuleana Rodriguez's shoes.\" class=\"wp-image-22573682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-08.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-08.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-08.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Camila McConaughey wipes a tear away while holding Maite Rodriguez\u2019s shoes.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Susan Walsh\/AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u2018Wore these every day,\u201d McConaughey continued. \u201cGreen Converse with a heart on the right toe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As Camila, and the watching world, stared down at them, she was suddenly overwhelmed with anguish, because she knew what her husband was about to say next.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese are the same green Converse on her feet,\u201d he continued, \u2018that turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her after the shooting.\u2019<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-02.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Matthew McConaughey.\" class=\"wp-image-22573689\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-02.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-02.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-02.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Matthew  McConaughey was born and raised in Uvalde.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Win McNamee\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Then McConaughey furiously punched the lectern.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHOW ABOUT THAT?!\u201d he exclaimed, rage and distress etched into his face.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s never been a more powerful or gut-wrenching moment in the White House briefing room.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-13.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Photos of 19 children and 2 teachers who died in the mass shooting are displayed at a makeshift memorial.\" class=\"wp-image-22573697\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-13.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-13.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-13.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Photos of the 19 children and 2 teachers who died in the mass shooting are displayed at a makeshift memorial at Robb Elementary.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And McConaughey, who with Camila had spent many days in Uvalde since the shooting, spared no detail when he explained the reason why nobody could identify Maite Rodriguez or many of her murdered classmates.<\/p>\n<p>He talked of meeting a cosmetologist in the town who specializes in mortuary makeup.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the task of making the victims <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ear as peaceful and natural as possible for their open-casket viewing,\u201d he said. \u201cThese bodies were very different. They needed much more than makeup to be presentable. They needed extensive restoration. Why? Due to the exceptionally large exit wounds of an AR-15 rifle. Most of the bodies so mutilated that only DNA tests or green Converse could identify them. Many children were left not only dead, but hollow.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-14.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Children run to safety after escaping from a window during a mass shooting at Robb Elementary.\" class=\"wp-image-22573702\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-14.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-14.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-14.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Children run to safety after escaping from a window during the mass shooting at Robb Elementary.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Pete Luna\/Uvalde Leader-<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a>\/Handout via REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>My God.<\/p>\n<p>This was a seminal moment in America\u2019s gun violence debate, the moment which I believe will have shaken most Americans to their core, as it shook me to mine.<\/p>\n<p>Once you have that appalling imagery in your head, there is no escaping it.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-09.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Actor Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila Alves McConaughey walk between meetings with lawmakers.\" class=\"wp-image-22573710\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-09.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-09.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-09.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila spent many days in Uvalde since the shooting.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Jonathan Ernst\/REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And there mustn\u2019t be any escaping from it.<\/p>\n<p>The real power of McConaughey\u2019s speech came from the fact he delivered it not to score cheap partisan points or back one side of the gun debate over another, but to appeal to all Americans, whatever their view of guns.<\/p>\n<p>As I watched him, my mind went back to an interview we did together 18 months ago in which McConaughey expressed his frustration at the way the Democratic debate has been stifled by the loudest, craziest voices.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"709\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-10.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"People react outside the Ssgt Willie de Leon Civic Center, where students had been transported from Robb Elementary School after a shooting.\" class=\"wp-image-22573717\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-10.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-10.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-10.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>People react outside the Sgt. Willie de Leon Civic Center, where students had been transported from Robb Elementary School after the shooting.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Marco Bello\/REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThe extreme left and the extreme right completely illegitimize the other side,\u201d he told me then, \u201cor they exaggerate that side\u2019s stance into an irrational state and that\u2019s not fair when either side does that. I would argue we don\u2019t have true confrontation right now, confrontation that gives some validation and legitimizes the opposing point of view. We make it persona non grata, and that\u2019s unconstitutional.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yesterday, he rose magnificently to the challenge of defying such damaging orthodoxy.<\/p>\n<p>McConaughey spoke of Uvalde being where he learned \u201cresponsible gun ownership.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"592\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-12.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Law enforcement work during a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.\" class=\"wp-image-22573726\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-12.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-12.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-12.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Police stand outside Robb Elementary, getting teachers and students out of the building through the windows.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Pete Luna\/Uvalde Leader-News\/Handout via REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And rather than demonize responsible gun owners, as so many of his Hollywood liberal colleagues prefer to do after each mass shooting \u2013 and yes, as I have done myself in the past \u2014 he made a respectful appeal to them to be part of the solution.<\/p>\n<p>He explained that mourning families of the dead children included \u201cTexas Rangers, hunters, Border Patrol and responsible gun owners who won\u2019t give up their Second Amendment right to bear arms\u201d \u2014 but said they all wanted the same thing: \u201cSecure and safe schools, and gun laws that won\u2019t make it so easy for the bad guys to get these damn guns.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>McConaughey called for more investment in mental health, safer schools, less \u201csensationalized <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> coverage\u201d of mass shootings, and new gun control measures including better background checks and red-flag laws, age limits for AR-15s to be raised from 18 to 21, and longer waiting periods for such rifles.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-01-1.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Matthew McConaughey.\" class=\"wp-image-22573730\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-01-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-01-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-01-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>\u201cMost of the bodies so mutilated that only DNA tests or green Converse could identify them,\u201d Matthew McConaughey said about the damage of an AR-15.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Michael Brochstein\/ZUMAPRESS.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He skilfully framed those measures as \u201cresponsible gun ownership\u201d insisting that \u201cresponsible gun owners are fed up with the Second Amendment being abused and hijacked by some deranged individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s what he said about American values that carried the most impact.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to restore our family values,\u201d he pleaded. \u201cWe need to restore our American values.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-06.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Matthew McConaughey holds up artwork by one of the victims of the school shooting in Uvalde.\" class=\"wp-image-22573733\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-06.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-06.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-06.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Matthew McConaughey holds up artwork by one of the victims of the school shooting in Uvalde.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Win McNamee\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He urged his fellow countrymen to put the safety of children above politics, to find common ground, to be humble, knowledgeable and wise, to look in the mirror and remind themselves what it means to be an American.<\/p>\n<p>And he urged them to do this to ensure the American dream is not an illusion, reminding us of the dreams those poor slaughtered children had before their lives were snuffed out.<\/p>\n<p>Maite Rodriguez\u2019s mother Ana revealed a letter the little girl had recently composed, outlining her career plan to be a marine biologist.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-17.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Memorial outside Robb Elementary.\" class=\"wp-image-22573754\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-17.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-17.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/matthew-mcconaughey-uvalde-piers-17.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Matthew McConaughey urged his fellow countrymen to put the safety of children above politics.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Kevin C. Downs<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI want to pass school to get to my dream college Corpus Christi, by the ocean,\u201d Maite wrote. \u201cI need to live next to the ocean because I want to be a marine biologist. Marine biologists study animals and the water. Most of the time, I will be in a lab. Sometimes, I will be on TV.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ana wanted us to see her little girl\u2019s heartbreaking letter so it might encourage others to live their dreams.<\/p>\n<p>An America where such dreams can\u2019t come true because children are repeatedly shot dead at school is surely not an America any American wants?<\/p>\n<p>Inevitably, McConaughey\u2019s speech promoted howls of outrage from those on the political extremities as he knew it would.<\/p>\n<p>Right-wingers attacked him for \u201cHollywood hypocrisy,\u201d and left-wingers attacked him for not demanding any guns be banned.<\/p>\n<p>One shameful excuse for a journalist even shouted, \u201cARE YOU GRANDSTANDING?!\u201d at him as he left.<\/p>\n<p>No, he wasn\u2019t \u2014 though ironically \u2014 that reporter was.<\/p>\n<p>What Matthew McConaughey did yesterday was change the tone of the gun debate from toxic, politically motivated mudslinging to respectful, constructive rhetoric intended to unify Americans over an incredibly divisive issue and effect real lasting change that will save lives.<\/p>\n<p>As he said, it\u2019s not a \u201ccure-all,\u201d but it\u2019s something.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere do we start?\u201d he asked. \u201cWe start by making the loss of these lives matter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>All right, all right, all right.\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/06\/08\/matthew-mcconaugheys-appeal-for-unity-over-guns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Matthew McConaughey\u2019s appeal for unity over guns&#8221; I can\u2019t get the image out of my mind. That pair of green Converse sneakers, being held on her knees by Matthew McConaughey\u2019s wife Camila as he spoke with searing passion at the White House about the Uvalde school massacre. The simple hand-drawn black heart above the big&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":459503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/piers-mcconaughey-uvalde-comp-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[130078,92246,71064,71723,6474,129625,42873],"class_list":["post-459502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-6-8-22","tag-gun-control","tag-matthew-mcconaughey","tag-second-amendment","tag-texas","tag-texas-school-shooting","tag-white-house"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=459502"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459502\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/459503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=459502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=459502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=459502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}