Mayor Mike Rawlings delivered an impromptu impassioned speech on the streets of Dallas Thursday calling on President Donald Trump and Congress to establish a blue ribbon panel to end mass killings in America. [[474204893,R]]

The mayor's statements were in response to the latest American massacre, a rampage through the halls of a Florida High School that left 17 innocent people dead and another 14 injured.



Rawlings said Thursday he had a personal connection to the Florida shooting -- his best friend's son attended the school and lost a close friend in the attack -- and that he was frustrated American leaders are offering platitudes instead of action.



"It's like, every time this happens, they're a deer in headlights. All they can say is, 'Our thoughts and prayers are with those people and this is pure evil,'" Rawlings said. "I really believe that God wants us to act and not just talk."

Rawlings said the root cause of mass killings was a complicated issue that touches on a number of topics including gun control, mental health and social media.

"It's a complicated issue, but I am very confident that the United States of America can solve this issue. This is not too big for America. Come on people, step up," Rawlings said.



The mayor said he doubts the president would listen to a Democratic mayor from Dallas, but said he planned to write him anyway, as well as members of Congress, and ask for the creation of a committee comprised of the great thinkers of America -- professors, scientists, social scientists -- to figure out the best practices to ending mass violence.



"We can go to the moon, we can fight cancer, we can launch Bitcoin, we can do all these wonderful things, but for some reason we can't stop killing in the streets of the United States," Rawlings said. "Leaders have got to step up and lead or they need to get the hell out of the way and let the people lead."

Rawlings recalled that three of the worst shootings in U.S. history occurred within the last five months, including 58 killed and 500 injured in Las Vegas, 26 killed in Sutherland Springs and 17 killed in Florida Wednesday.



"This is an epidemic. This is a cancer that's going to happen back here in Dallas if we don't have leaders that lead," Rawlings said. "America needs to be outraged by this. Kids are dying, people. Don't elect people that won't do anything about it."

Mass Shootings in the U.S.

Single attacks in a public place in which four or more victims were killed. The data does not include shootings stemming from crimes such as robberies and gang violence. More on the data source.

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