--- title: Dallas Shooting: Mayor Mike Rawlings Calls for Understanding description: Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings blamed his generation for allowing racial tensions to "fester," after five police officers were killed Thursday canonical: https://time.com/4399164/dallas-shooting-mayor-mike-rawlings-prayer-vigil/ author: Katie Reilly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-07-08T20:12:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-06T09:40:26.247Z article:section: Politics og:title: Dallas Mayor: 'We Have Led the Next Generation Down a Vicious Path' og:description: He spoke at a vigil after police officers were killed during a protest of police brutality og:url: https://time.com/4399164/dallas-shooting-mayor-mike-rawlings-prayer-vigil/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8abf0fe5ac7f525f/69889b472dce0125579e9c82/dallas-mayor-rawlings-prayer-vigil.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5760 og:image:height: 3240 og:image:alt: US-CRIME-POLICE-SHOOTING og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Dallas Mayor: 'We Have Led the Next Generation Down a Vicious Path' twitter:description: He spoke at a vigil after police officers were killed during a protest of police brutality twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8abf0fe5ac7f525f/69889b472dce0125579e9c82/dallas-mayor-rawlings-prayer-vigil.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings: 'We Have Led the Next Generation Down a Vicious Path' > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=b223ba00-b361-4c44-a660-99d5990bf2ed&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Vigil For Five Police Officers Killed During a Protest of Police Brutality [Watch (HLS stream): Vigil For Five Police Officers Killed During a Protest of Police Brutality](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/swAxKgZq.m3u8) (2:09)  _Published 2016-07-08. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings on Friday called for change and blamed his own generation for allowing racial tensions to “fester,” speaking at a prayer vigil in the city’s Thanks-Giving Square after five police officers were killed and seven were wounded_  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Jul 8, 2016 8:12 PM UTC Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings on Friday called for change and blamed his own generation for allowing racial tensions to “fester,” speaking at a prayer vigil in the city’s Thanks-Giving Square after five police officers were killed and seven were wounded  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Jul 8, 2016 8:12 PM UTC Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings on Friday called for change and blamed his own generation for allowing racial tensions to “fester,” speaking at a prayer vigil in the city’s Thanks-Giving Square after [five police officers were killed](http://time.com/4397911/dallas-police-shooting-victims-sniper/) and seven were wounded in a [mass shooting Thursday night](http://time.com/4397785/dallas-shooting-police-protest-snipers/?xid=homepage). The incident happened during a peaceful protest over police brutality, after [two black men were killed by police](http://time.com/4396220/philando-castile-minnesota-shooting/) in separate incidents this week, fueling a [heated national debate](http://time.com/4396269/philando-castile-louisiana-minnesota-shooting-alton-sterling/) over the treatment of black people by law enforcement officers. “This is on my generation of leaders. It is on our watch that we have allowed this to continue to fester, that we have led the next generation down a vicious path of rhetoric and actions that pit one against the other,” Rawlings said, as the crowd applauded. “I believe in dealing with this issue, we must step up our game and approach complicated issues in a different way. And race is complicated.” He called on people to consider both sides of the complicated debate, denouncing police brutality while praising honorable law enforcement officers. “The question is: Can we, as citizens, speak against the actions of a relatively few officers who blemish the reputation of their high-calling and at the same time, support and defend the 99% of officers who do their job professionally, honestly and bravely?” he said. “I think we can and I think we must.” He also asked the community to “truly and deeply understand” the pain caused by racial discrimination and slavery, which he called “the greatest sin in America.” ## Transcript [00:00] In the police profession where very comfortable with [00:04] not hearing " thank you" from citizens especially [00:08] you need us the most. We're used to it. Thank you. [00:10] [ APPLAUSE ] Thank you. [ APPLAUSE ] Thank you. So [00:18] today feels like a different day. Then the days before [00:23] this tragedy, because you're here, because [00:28] Dallas is a city that [00:33] loves. the worst attack on law [00:37] enforcement in our city's history. The worst attack on [00:40] law enforcement in our country since 9 / 11. We [00:46] have faced challenges in the decades since this square [00:49] was built and we have facing challenges today. But [00:55] we must start if we're gonna face those challenges With [00:59] an attitude change. An attitude of humility, [01:05] of gratitude that this square was built on. Through [01:09] our investigation of [01:13] some of the suspects it's revealed to us that this [01:18] was a well- planned Well thought [01:22] out, evil tragedy [01:28] by these suspects, and we [01:32] won't rest until we bring [01:36] everyone involved To justice. 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