IRVING, Texas – A downtown rally is scheduled Saturday at 10 a.m. at City Hall Plaza for the "Men Against Abuse," an advocacy campaign to put an end to domestic violence in the community.
Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr supports the initiative and plans to attend the event, where men will be encouraged to unite in the effort to stop abuse. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings announced the launch last month, and the primary audience and messaging for the campaign are the men of Dallas.
"It's time to shine a light to domestic violence and the mark it leaves on a community, much like we've seen in recent years with smoking and drunk driving," Rawlings said in a news release. "We need the men of Dallas to know that one time is one too many—that we won't settle for less than zero tolerance of domestic violence."
Carr said he's been troubled by the number of NFL players arrested for domestic violence during his five years in the league, and he urged local athletes to become involved in the advocacy campaign and rally.
The Cowboys' cornerback went through an emotional time during the season after former Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher killed himself and his girlfriend, both of whom Carr knew well.
"Because athletes are looked at as role models by our youth, it's extremely important for us to stand up against domestic abusers," Carr said in a news release.
Rawlings is targeting 10,000 men for the event this weekend, but he hopes thousands more attend.
"I want fathers to bring their sons, because this is undoubtedly a learned behavior," he said. "We have a unique opportunity to change the mindset of the next generation of Dallasites."
