ANALYSIS – In a surprisingly thoughtful opinion-editorial piece for USA Today and following the Robb Elementary School massacre in his hometown, actor Matthew McConaughey — possibly hoping to burnish his political credentials for a future run for Texas governor — attempts to bridge the vast gun rights versus gun control chasm.
In his op-ed, the Uvalde native argues that there is a big difference between gun control and gun responsibility. And he is spot on. Banning guns is not the answer. But also, ‘gun responsibility’ can be a way to protect our gun rights.
However, as always, the problems arise when you wade into the weeds of specific policies. And that’s no different in this case.
McConaughey starts off by strongly affirming his belief in the Second Amendment:
I believe that responsible, law-abiding Americans have a Second Amendment right, enshrined by our Founders, to bear arms. I also believe we have a cultural obligation to take steps toward slowing down the senseless killing of our children. The debate about gun control has delivered nothing but status quo. It’s time we talk about gun responsibility.
And then makes his reasonable argument:
There is a difference between control and responsibility. The first is a mandate that can infringe on our right; the second is a duty that will preserve it. There is no constitutional barrier to gun responsibility. Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous people is not only the responsible thing to do, it is also the best way to protect the Second Amendment. We can do both.
All good so far.
He also notes that: “Integrating gun safety training, safe storage proposals and bolstering school safety are also beneficial, but they are not government-only solutions. Companies, private organizations and responsible gun owners have a big role to play.”
Also, good.
And then he makes his recommendations which he considers imminently reasonable.
They include background checks, which most Americans do support, ‘red flag’ laws to prevent those considered dangerous or unstable from having guns ‘temporarily,’ which also sound reasonable, and waiting periods for buying AR-15 style rifles, to barring anyone under age 21 from owning an AR-15.
And that’s where things get sticky.
While I’m on board with enforcing our current background checks process and fixing loopholes, why the focus on AR-15s when they are only used in an infinitesimal percentage of murders in the United States? McConaughey even specifies that 12-gauge shotguns or lever-action hunting rifles are OK.
First, let’s be clear, mass killings of three or more persons in the U.S. by someone with a firearm are a tiny percentage of the murders in America. And those committed by crazed killers with AR-15s are an even smaller subset.
Pew Research notes that “Regardless of the definition being used, fatalities in mass shooting incidents in the U.S. account for a small fraction of all gun murders that occur nationwide each year.” Pew adds that:
Rifles – the category that includes guns sometimes referred to as “assault weapons” – were involved in 3% of firearm murders.
The vast majority of murders committed with guns in the U.S. are committed with everyday handguns.
Secondly, if 18-year-olds are considered legal adults, old enough to vote and drive deadly automobiles which kill far more Americans than guns, and they can go to war for us, why can’t they own a firearm guaranteed under the Constitution?
This makes no sense and in my view is unconstitutional.
And yes, that goes for the drinking age as well. Old enough to vote and fight, should be old enough to drink. Only in America can an 18-year-old legally be in a porn movie but can’t have a drink afterward.
Either make it all age 21 or make it all 18.
And then there are the ‘red flag’ laws, which on paper make sense, and in Florida have been implemented as a ‘risk protection’ court order by Republicans after the horrific 2018 Parkland school shooting.
This despite powerful resistance from the NRA, who, correctly, sees any gun restriction measure as a step toward Democrats’ goal of banning firearms.
CNN reported that:
…the state law provides police a path to ask a judge to temporarily bar dangerous individuals from possessing or purchasing a firearm. Since its creation, Florida judges have acted more than 8,000 times to keep guns out of the hands of people authorities deemed a risk to themselves or others, according to data maintained by the Office of the State Courts Administrator.
But as Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican from Texas, said:
What you’re essentially trying to do with the red flag law is enforce the law before the law has been broken. And it’s a really difficult thing to do, it’s difficult to assess whether somebody is a threat. Now if they are such a threat that they’re threatening somebody with a weapon already, well, then they’ve already broken the law. So why do you need this other law?
Still, many conservative Republicans are on board with the idea of local police, with court approval temporarily restricting gun access for certain individuals showing dangerous behaviors. And this might be one commonsense compromise I could support.
Especially if it is done INSTEAD of restricting an entire class of firearms from American adults or banning those weapons outright. But only if it is done at the state and local levels.
As the Second Amendment states: Congress can pass no law to abridge our right to bear arms.
These court orders must also not have any connection to ‘no-fly’ or other government watch lists which are notoriously faulty.
And finally, there are waiting periods to buy guns which also seem reasonable to prevent emotional purchase by someone unwell, mentally unstable, under the influence or enraged. Sounds good to me except if applied as a blanket rule.
What happens to the woman who is being threatened by an abusive ex and gets murdered by him while waiting for her gun waiting period to end?
My point is that while McConaughey makes a valiant attempt to defend our Second Amendment rights, while still proposing commonsense ‘gun responsibility’ solutions — once you dig a bit, not all of them are as clear-cut as they first seem.
Still, by making the suggestions in the thoughtful manner he did, McConaughey is making the gun debate a far more intelligent and civil one to have. Kudos to him for that. ALD
READ NEXT: After the Shooting in Texas, What? >>
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
Paul Crespo is the Managing Editor of American Liberty Defense News. As a Marine Corps officer, he led Marines, served aboard ships in the Pacific and jumped from helicopters and airplanes. He was also a military attaché with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at U.S. embassies worldwide. He later ran for state and federal office, taught political science, wrote for the editorial board of a major newspaper and had his own radio show. A graduate of Georgetown, London and Cambridge universities, he brings decades of experience and insight to the issues that most threaten our American liberty – at home and from abroad. To read more go to: paulcrespo.com.
While making some decent points the majority of the issue is poor parenting, period, which is aided by liberal lunacy indoctrination in the public education systems which has led to liberal lunacy in said parenting. Parents need to take back control of their children instead of trying to be buddies all of the time. Parent first, friend second.
Mathew is right, but the Democrats will never talk common sense. The Democrats want to rule over us Americans like Dictators.
Who has the right to deem one unsafe to own a gun? What classifies RED FLAG? Sine we have so many “Karens” in the US that deem people are doing bad things or not agreeing with them are they able to RED FLAG someone? The reality is that America has strayed so far away from God and accountability for choices that those that are dangerous aren’t afraid to destroy! Our progressive left leaners have to accountability and are extremely lazy about responsibility they want others to be accountable for their actions. This country spends too much time looking for excuses and blaming others that we get nothing done! We spend so much mental energy screw up minds of innocent children with Gender bs and that they have no idea what reality is
Red Flag laws in Free Florida with a balanced Judicial Bench seem to work, for now.
There is at least some accountability in most states when a district attorney and a judge go after someone with a red flag for political cause. This would NEVER be the case at the Federal level. Look at the FBI’s treatment of patriot groups vs. ANTIFA and BLM. Night and day partisanship.
I don’t fing his comments thoughtful at all.
My rights come from God, not from Government.
My right to bear arms is to protect me and my family from the tyrannical Marxists that have infested the Demonrat party.
The most recent shooters were all mentally ill and all self identify as members of the Democrat party.
Coincidence? I think not.
Don’t try to tell me that the shooter was a racist, therefore he was a republican.
Mind numb morons, please read your history…. The KKK was the military wing of the Democrat party. The big switch is the big lie that you morons believe.
Actor Matthew McConaughey’s Surprisingly Thoughtful Views on ‘Gun Control vs Gun Responsibility’
Matthew McConaughey needs to read the 2nd Amendment VERY carefully. It does Not prevent ownership of weapons BUT it Does Limit in No Unsecond terms Who has the right to carry a weapon.
The ATF has had bans on military grade arms dating back to WWI. There are some weapons that you can own under conditions. These weapons are Registered and you must have a lichens to owner them even if you are only a collector.
Part of Responsible ownership of Firearms go along with ownership of a motor vehicle. For the protection of owners, they should be insured for Loss, Theft and Liability for damages resulting in its use by owner or others.
Military grade weapons belong in the hansa and control of Legal Militia organizations, be it Military, Law enforcement or Law enforcement axillary, a.k.a., Legal Militia. These weapons are designed for hunting People. Those who think that people are a game animal are the ones who murder unarmed innocent citizens.
Firearm responsibility start with training and evaluation of the individual knowledge of not only care and security of the weapon as well as a background check. Most people do not know that the NRA forced a condition that all background checks be done by hand ONLY. They are forbidden using computers. That is the First thing that needs to be changed NOW.
Why don’t we vote someone like him into office, they pick the worst of the worst, and it doesn’t make any difference which party if the ones we have in was office would get there heads out of the sand we would not be in the mess we are in know.
Thank you for speaking out on this issue. More people need to get behind taking action for a solution. It is a disgrace what is going on in this country. I do not believe that taking away guns rom everyone is the answer. We live in a apartment complex. In the last year we are getting frequent gun fire at night. One was a 16 year old shooting while my grandson and I were taking trash to the dumpster. I literally worry daily for my grandchildren’s life.