East Coast accolades
New York Magazine high-fives Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings for fight against domestic violence
Mayor Mike Rawlings' Dallas Men Against Abuse campaign may be local, but he has attracted national and international attention for his efforts.
Kat Stoeffel of New York Magazine recently interviewed Rawlings when he was in town for the United Nation's Council on the Status of Women. Rawlings also served as the keynote speaker for an International Women's Day event organized by anti-abuse group Ring the Bell.
"We think of terrorism as a political action, when the lion's share of terrorism is with intimate partners," Rawlings said.
In a lengthy Q&A for The Cut, Rawlings compared today's permissibility of domestic abuse to public opinion about littering prior to the 1960s. Although recognizing that family violence is a much more serious issue than tossing a Coke can out the window, Rawlings said the analogy is apt.
"Now you couldn't even believe someone would do that. There's a huge stigma now. That stigma can be placed, I think, on this issue, but it takes a little while and it takes these conversations," he said.
Rawlings gave shout-outs to the Family Place and Genesis Women's Shelter in the interview, crediting the two organizations for raising his crusade to a higher profile. He hopes the exposure will help people realize the true terror of domestic violence.
"We think of terrorism as a political action, when the lion's share of terrorism is with intimate partners," Rawlings said.
On March 11, Rawlings began posting PSAs for Dallas Men Against Abuse on Facebook. In addition to the mayor, the videos feature Dallas Cowboys player Brandon Carr and Spanish radio personality Shoboy En La Mañana from 107.5.
