Editorial

Matthew McConaughey Reacts To The Horrific School Massacre In Texas, Says Americans Must ‘Renegotiate Our Wants From Our Needs’

Matthew McConaughey (Credit: REUTERS/Marco Bello and REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni)

David Hookstead Sports And Entertainment Editor
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Matthew McConaughey shared a lengthy reaction to the horrific school shooting Tuesday in Texas.

Suspected gunman Salvador Ramos killed more than 20 people when he entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The authorities reportedly eventually responded with lethal force and killed Ramos. (Border Patrol Agent Rushed Into Texas School And Killed Shooter: REPORT)

In the aftermath of the shooting, McConaughey, who was born in Uvalde and grew up there, shared a message on Instagram pushing people to “re-evaluate” the situation.

He wrote the following in part late Tuesday night:

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.

You can read his full message below.

I’m not going to get into a gun control debate right now, but for anyone interested in that, my thoughts about the Second Amendment are out there and well known.

What I will say is that people are hurting right now, families are in pain, kids are never coming home and lives are destroyed in ways most of you reading this will never understand.

Do I agree with everything McConaughey said in his post? No, but I understand when people have incredibly emotional reactions to tragedies. In fact, if you don’t have an emotional reaction to little kids being murdered by a soulless monster, I’d argue you have an issue.

More than anything, your reaction to tragedies shouldn’t ever be to politicize it. It should be to empathize with the victims and to remember how fragile life can be. If you’re the kind of person demanding new laws and slinging mud with the bodies of innocent victims still on the ground, you’re the problem.

Let us know what you think of McConaughey’s post in the comments below.