Why Matthew McConaughey’s Mom Is a Reason He Reacted So Strongly to the Uvalde School Shooting
Matthew McConaughey‘s reaction to the tragic Uvalde school shooting didn’t pull any punches. The Interstellar star once revealed he has political ambitions, and based on what he said about the Uvalde, Texas, shooting, his stance on gun control seems clear. The school shooting shook McConaughey, and his mom is one reason why.
How Matthew McConaughey reacted to the Uvalde, Texas, shooting
McConaughey attended college in Austin, Texas, and went to high school in Longview, Texas, but Uvalde is his hometown. The tragic school shooting there led him to write a strong message on his verified Twitter. Words such as failing, excuses, tragic, and values appear frequently in McConaughey’s reaction.
“Once again, we have tragically proven that we are failing to be responsible for the rights our freedoms grant us,” one sentence reads.
“The true call to action now is for every American to take a longer and deeper look in the mirror, and ask ourselves, ‘What is it that we truly value? How do we repair the problem? What small sacrifices can we individually take today, to preserve a healthier and safer nation, state, and neighborhood tomorrow?’” another paragraph read. “We cannot exhale once again, make excuses, and accept these tragic realities as the status quo.”
McConaughey called for Texans and all Americans to “renegotiate our wants from our needs” and to “rearrange our values.”
The statement closed with emotional words of support for the people affected by the Uvalde shooting. “To those who dropped their loved ones off to school not knowing that today was goodbye, no words can comprehend or heal your loss, but if prayers can provide comfort, we will keep them coming.”
McConaughey’s mom was a teacher, which gave him another personal reason to speak out
McConaughey’s mother, Mary Kathleen, was a strong family matriarch. Her strength and maternal instincts extended outside the home. She taught McConaughey in kindergarten, and she taught him a personal lesson about answering to Matt during one class.
Matthew was the youngest of three sons, one of whom was adopted, as she told Today’s Sheinelle Jones. Matthew was a late addition to the family, and as his name means “gift from God,” she refused to allow him to use a shortened version of it.
The Uvalde shooting happened in McConaughey’s hometown, so it hits close to home. An added layer of the tragedy is that two teachers died. In a different time, Mary Kathleen McConaughey, or Matthew himself, could have been victims of senseless violence.
McConaughey’s mom was one personal reason he had for speaking out so strongly about the Uvalde shooting, especially now that he and his mom have reconciled their once-fractured relationship.
McConaughey and his mom repaired their fractured relationship
McConaughey now has a strong relationship with his mother, but they barely spoke for eight years at one point early in his career. She was very forthcoming about private details of his early years and personal life, so he limited his conversations with her.
Mary Kathleen was once so protective of her youngest child that she lied to him about how he finished in the Little Mr. Texas pageant. To have her violate his trust years later strained the bond, but they repaired their relationship.
McConaughey and his mom had downtimes, but their relationship is strong now. So was McConaughey’s reaction to the Uvalde school shooting.
How to get help: In the U.S. and Canada, text the Crisis Text Line at 741741 to reach a crisis counselor for support.
