AUSTIN (KXAN) – Matthew McConaughey wrote about Second Amendment rights and the country’s gun policy in an op-ed essay published by Esquire this week.

The native Texan shared his journey of returning to his hometown of Uvalde after 19 students and two teachers were killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary School and explained his role in helping develop a gun reform bill.

McConaughey spoke on his support for the Second Amendment and said he believed in having access to guns for hunting, sport and self-defense. He also included counterpoints in support of protections, limiting who should be allowed access.

“I believe all firearm purchases should be subject to an extensive background check, and unless you’re in the military, you should be twenty-one to purchase an assault rifle,” McConaughey wrote in Esquire. “I believe that extreme risk protection orders, or ‘red-flag laws,’ that respect due process should be the law of the land and that firearm-safety courses should be mandatory.”

In Esquire, McConaughey said rights, such as the Second Amendment, come with obligations.

“To do nothing is more than irresponsible; it’s un-American. Our firearm policy is failing us, and we are failing it,” McConaughey said.

In the essay, McConaughey detailed his trip to Washington D.C. on June 7 when he advocated for gun violence reform. McConaughey previously said in an Instagram story he attended 30 bi-partisan meetings during that trip.

On June 25, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was signed into law by President Joe Biden. The act was the first federal gun reform in 28 years.