we have just heard the call to arms based on that platform that calls for us to be successful in communicating and revealed to the american people the difference between this platform and the platform of the opposing party which is nothing but a reissue and running of the late show of the things we've been hearing for the last 40 years. [applause]

you have summoned me on behalf of millions to lead a great crusade for freedom in america. i know something of the solemn responsibility of leading the crusade.

doctor tom friedman director of the center for disease control and prevention briefs members of the senate foreign relations subcommittee on the zika virus. president obama spoke at a memorial service for the five police officers killed in a

targeted attack in downtown dallas last week and emphasized the need for unity and better relations for law enforcement and the communities they serve. he was joined by former president george bush, texas senator and majority with john cornyn, michael rawlings and police chief david brown. this is an hour and a half. [applause]

please remain standing for the colors and national anthem. ♪ say can you see by the dawns

early light ♪ plus so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming ♪ whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪ through the perilous fight ♪ or the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming ♪ and the rockets red glare ♪ the bombs bursting in the air ♪ gave proof through the night to ♪ that our flag was still there. ♪ oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave ♪

o're the land of the free ♪ and the home of the brave ♪ please welcome the mayor of dallas, mike rawlings. [applause] at age:58 p.m. five days ago the soul of the city was pierced

when police officers were ambushed and the days that followed research a massive crime scene and we pay tribute of a growing police headquarters and prayed together at thanksgiving square and we lit candles to honor the lives of our five he heros. we realize our pain is your pa pain. michael smith, brent thompson on behalf of the dallas citizens and our great dallas city

council. we want to say thank you for accepting our invitation. some of you travel across the state and the country. i want to recognize our fellow mayors for being here in such short notice. the mayor mitch landrieu, columbia mayor stephen benjamin, greg fisher thank you. thank you also to my friend betsy price and two cecelia abbott and a daughter here on behalf of governor greg abbott, to the governor of missouri and governor martinez of new mexico and to the congressma congressmn

you represent officials and citizens across the country that have reached out to me in recent days who are not able to make it here today whose cities and states have also been scarred by violence. congresswoman johnson, senator cruise, these men and women are here with us because they know we have a common disease. this upsurge of violence on our street. those that will help us fight it are our men and women in blue, peacemakers and blue that have died for that cause. that is why today we reserve five seats for the men he lost on thursday night. we offer our gratitude to you

including those that have traveled here to support your brothers and sisters in the dallas police department, the dallas area rapid transit police and the college police force. ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. [applause] most importantly, it is our purpose today to bring comfort to you, the families that are represented by those empty seats we love you and we will never forget you. we also honor those who came close to death that night and who were wounded not only in the

body but a been recognized as the national pain and i want to say thank you for the first lady and vice president joe biden and the two otwo of the most distind citizens of dallas. for coming to help us heal these wounds and wage the battle against violence and separatism today must be about unity among the faith and police and citizens and among politicians. in recent days i've seen unity even before the tragedy when the

police and protesters mingled peacefully i've seen unity when the protesters came out in support of the police after the days of this tragedy. i see the unity today when the police and the texas officers stepped up to relieve our exhaustive police officers. the choir behind me some symbolizes that across the city. these three religious leaders will pray in a few minutes in a show of unity. i believe you will hear the words of unity from other speakers the senior senator from texas, president bush, the police chief david brown and president obama.

the past few days have been some of the darkest in the city's history. there is no question about that. as we bury these men in the coming days, it's almost easier, i know. there's nothing like a crisis that forces one to take pause in your life and your city's life. and if you are from out of town, i hope that you will forgive me for a moment. i want to speak to my fellow. i searched hard in my soul to discover what mistakes we've made and i've asked why us. and in my moments of self-doubt, i discovered the truth that we did nothing wrong in fact, dallas is very good. our police are among the best in

the country. i am in all of our dallas police officers. [applause] we set the standard where policing can both be strong and smart where men died for the rights to this country was built on. in short, i have never been more

proud of my city. when we did nothin nothing whens a reason this happened here, this place and this time in american history this is our chance to need and build a new model for the community and the city, for the country. to do that, there will be tough times ahead. we will mourn together, and together is the key word here. we may be sad that h we will not dwell on self-pity. we will never fly in because we have too much work to be done and too many bridges to rebuild that we will cross together.

this i know will happen. thank you. [applause] god of our ears and silent tears, those that brought us this far all the way our hearts are heavy and tears flow from our eyes and we come to you because you are the rock in the land, to shelter i the shelter f the storm and god, you are uniquely qualified from genesis to revelations you have helped and mended and molded right now

we salute the dallas police officers that died protecting and serving this community. we honor their sacrifice and commitment surround your family and loved ones. cover the entire dallas police department with your grace and mercy and keep your hands of everlasting love on david brown as he meets with dignity and determination. your word says all things work together for good. we can't see that right now but we will trust you. your word says joy comes in the morning. right now it's still dark but we are going to hold on to your unchanging hand. there will be effects from these ambushes and there's terror,

anxiety and despair that we will keep on and press on and we will live on, shadow beneath the hand maybe forever stanmay be foreveo have her -- true to our god. amen. in the name of god the most compassionate and merciful company's blessings be upon his prophets and messengers and those that follow in their path. today our city is heartbroken, our country is soul-searching and we as individuals are forever in need of your guidance and protection. we ask you to look upon us today to guide us and live in ways that are most pleasing to you. we ask you to put peace in our

hearts that we may spread it to all of those around us and we ask you to protect us from being people of injustice that we may purify the world of it and as we ask you to recognize it is up to us to say you did not create us for vengeance, you didn't create us to nominate or oppress one another, we are not the ones to judge who should live and who said -- should die. ready to pursue the peace, justice and equality that you demand of us ready to stand up against this evil integrity to stand up against any oppression in any name for any cause at any position it against any of your creation we ask that you're in love with comfort those that mourn their loved ones today and

flooded their family with joy and the children of powerful officers in all of those that have lost their lives are molded in the love that we express today, not in the hatred of the love that claimed the lives of their fathers of th that the vof racism and xenophobia are drowned out by the voices that say you will not put us against one another. we choose to live by the hope that you have instilled in us and not that others are against us and we pray to you the one god of moses, jesus for one dallas, one american and one world. [applause] friends, together we are here opening our hearts and souls to

the god of compassion as the simple human beings that we are as mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers all children of the heavenly parents all created in the divine image in here today to pray for healing and wisdom and strength and for peace. in this moment the sad us and pain we look to the heavens knowing as it was once said there are stars up above so far away we only see their light long after the star itself is gone and so it is with the people we love their memory keeps shining ever brightly though the time with us is done those that light up the night these are the stars to guide us as we live our days we remember.

we remember brent thompson, patrick, warren and michael smith they will be remembered as shining lights of the bravery and dedication to the city, kindness and compassion. as we live our days we will never forget their sacrifice. as they are still reeling from the violence from a short few days ago we cq heeler of the broken hearted with the words of moses we pray for healing for his sister. we pray for the families of fallen police officers and the dallas transit police officer. please heal them as we ask for

your power to surround them and their loved ones in their time of need wit of hope and strengtd love. to always bear the burden of scars and memory we pray please god healed them and bring to their body and soul the completeness they seek. to the elected officials and the first responders and whose hand we place our lives we pray please god heal them as we know they hurt along with us and bring to them the wisdom and the courage necessary to make the permanent peace we seek, and to those of us that are scared and afraid, angry and confused in our city and country we pray

please god heal us as we ask for your healing power to heal us once and for all for the illness of violence and hatred, xenophobia and difference that plagues us every single day. ..

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♪ [applause]. [applause]. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome senator john cornyn. [applause]. >> i know i speak for everyone here and around the country and expressing my profound gratitude to mayor rawlings, chief brown, and the entire dallas police departments. [applause].

we thank you for your strength and the grace you have shown in these trying hours. chief, i particularly like the way you put it yesterday when you said simply that dallas loves. it is my cell and privilege to join the people of dallas, all across the state of texas and the entire country and honoring these men of uncommon courage. several years ago the aftermath of another tragedy, the shocking explosion in west texas, a local official told me something that sticks with me even to this day. he said, being a texan doesn't describe where you are from, it describes who your family is. so today, our family and this

great nation shares the grief of dallas. i want to especially thank president obama, first lady, michelle obama and vice president joe biden, and jill biden for honoring us with your presence today. [applause]. in times of darkness when it is hard to hold on to hope, we must remember that these men along with their fellow officers were not ultimately overcome by evil. no is scripture direct us, i believe they chose to confront evil and overcome it with good. they overcame evil by running

toward the sound of the gunfire. they overcame evil by shielding their fellow citizens from the spray of bullets. they overcame evil by sacrificing their own lives so that others could live. i believe that because of their example to all of us, the city of dallas shall overcome the evil from that day. amidst our profound sadness, we honor and remember these officers for putting the people of dallas before them self. in their final moments serving others, protecting the city and loving this community as they did. today, we join millions across the state and country who continue to lift up these family, friends and fellow officers in our prayers.

as well as those recovering from their wounds. in the aftermath of another life altering event on septembersept, 2001, president george w. bush inspired all of us is speaking of how the nation has always responded to evil. with powerful courage and deep concern for one another. and so once again, we gather as one nation under god, yes to grieve but then to rise up and continue to fight the good fight and finish the race, and to keep the faith. ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to welcome to the podium

the 43rd president of the united states, part of our texas family, and a man who a man who along with his bride laura, probably call this community their home. president george w. bush. [applause]. >> thank you thank you senator. i too am pleased that president obama and mrs. obama have come down to dallas and i also want to welcome vice president biden, mayor, elected, elected officials and members of the law-enforcement community. today the nation grieves but those of us who love dallas and call it home have had five deaths in the family. lauren i see members of law-enforcement everyday. we come to miss our friends.

we know, like like for every other american that their courage is our protection and shield. we are proud of the men we mourn and that community has rallied and to support the wendy. police chief in our police department have been my id inspirations the rest of the nation. [applause]. these lane officers were the best among us, lauren aaron's, beloved husband to detective catrina aarons and father of two. michael michael krol, caring son, brother, uncle, nephew and friend. michael smith, u.s. army veteran, devoted husband and father of two. brett thompson, marine corps

vet, recently married. patrick zamarippa, u.s. navy reserve combat veteran. proud father, and loyal texas rangers fan. [applause]. with their deaths we have lost so much. we are grief stricken, heartbroken and forever grateful. every officer has accepted a calling that sets them apart. most of us us imagine if the moment calls for that we would risk our lives to protect a spouse or a child. those wearing the uniform assume that risk for the safety of strangers. they and their family show the unspoken knowledge that each new day can bring new dangers but

none of us were prepared, or could be prepared for an ambush by hatred and malice. the shock of this evil still has not faded. at times it seems like the force it pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together. argument turns too easily into animosity, disagreement escalates to quickly into dehumanization. too often we judge other groups by their worst examples while judging ourselves by our best intentions. [applause]. this has strained our bonds of understanding and common purpose. but americans i think have a

great advantage to renew our unity we only need to remember our values. we have never been held together by blood or background. we are bound by things of the spirit, by share commitments to common ideals. at our best we practice empathy, imagining ourselves in the lives and circumstances of others. this is the bridge across our nation's deepest divisions. it is not merely an matter of tolerance, but of learning of the struggles and stories of our fellow citizens in finding our better selves in the process. at our best we honor the image of god we see in one another. we recognize that we are brothers and sisters, sharing the same brief moment on earth and owing each other the loyalty of our shared humanity. at our best we know we have one country, one future, one destiny

we do not want the unity of grief, nor nor do we want the unity of fear. we want the unity of hope, affection, and high purpose. we know the kind of just, humane country we want to build that we have seen in our best streams is made possible when men and women in uniform standard. at the best when they are trained and accountable, they free us from fear. the apostle paul said for god gave a spirit not a fear but of strength, and love, and self-control. those are the best responses to fear in the life of our country. they are the code of the peace officer. today, all of us feel a sense of loss, but not equally. i like to conclude with the word of the families, the spouses,

and especially the children of the fallen. you loved ones time with you was too short, they did not get a chance to properly say goodbye. but they went for duty called, they defended us, even to the end. they finished well, we will not forget what they did for us. your loss is unfair, we cannot explain it, we can stand beside you and share your grief. we can pray that god will comfort you with the hope deeper than sorrow and stronger than death. may god bless you. [applause].

>> leadership is hard, great leadership is very unique. we experience that leadership this week with the chiefs of our dart and dvd offices. i want to say thanks to dart chief james -- for what you have done. [applause].

i want to also introduce a man who has given his life to the city of dallas, the 28th chief of police, over 30 years in the force, a native of south oak cliff. [applause]. a man that i call a friend, but

more importantly, he is my rock. he represents not only dallas, but police officers, police chiefs, a higher calling across the united states of america. ladies and gentlemen, chief david brown. [applause]. [applause]. [applause].

>> [applause]. >> thank you so much. thank you so much. when i was a teenager and i started liking girls, i could never find the right words to express myself. after a couple of words they would just walk away leaving me, figuring out what i need to do to get a day. and so being a music fan of 1970s rhythm and blueslove songs, i put together a strategy to recite the lyrics to get a date. [laughter]

so for girls i liked, i would pull out some al green were some teddy , i would recite the lyrics to their love song. but for people i love, if i fell in love with a girl, i had to dig down deep and get some stevie wonder. [applause]. to fully express the love i had for them, for the girl. so today i'm going to pull out some stevie wonder for these families. [applause]. so families close your eyes and imagine me back in 1974 with an afro, and some bellbottoms and a

wide collar. we all know sometimes life hate and trouble can make you wish you were born in another time and place. but you can bet your lifetime that and twice as double, that god knew exactly where he wanted you to be place. so make sure when you say you are not in it, but not of it, you are not helping to make this play sometimes called hell. change your words into truth and then change that truth into love, and maybe your children's grandchildren and their great, great grandchildren will tell them, i will be loving you until

the rainbow burns the stars out of the sky, i will be loving you. until the ocean covers every mountain high, i will be loving you. until the dolphin fly and the parents live at the sea, i will be loving you. until we dream of life and life it becomes a dream, i will be loving you. until the day is night and night becomes the day, i'll be loving you. until the trees and sees, up up and fly way, i'll be loving you. until the day that eight times eight times eight times eight is for, i'll be loving you. until the day that is a day no day no more, i'll be loving you. until the day the earth starts turning right to left, i will be be loving you. until the earth, just for the

sun denies itself, i'll be love in you. until mother nature says, her work is through, i'll be 11 you. until the day that you are me, and i am you, now ain't that loving you. [applause]. until the rainbow burns the stars out of the sky, ain't that loving you? until the ocean covers every mountain high, and i have got to say, always i will be loving you always. and there's no greater love than this, i see five men who gave their lives for all of us. it is my honor to introduce to

you the president of the united states of america, president barack obama. thank you. [applause]. [applause]. [applause]. [applause]. >> president and mrs. bush, my friends, vice president and doctor biden, mayor rawlings,

chief, clergy, members of congress, i'm so glad that i met michelle first because she loves stevie wonder. [laughter] [laughter] but most of all to the families, and friends, and colleagues, and fellow officers. scripture tells us that in our

sufferings there is glory. because we know that suffering produces perseverance. perseverance produces character. in character, hope. sometimes the truths of these words are hard to see. right now those words test us. because the people of dallas, the people across the country are suffering. we are here to honor the memory and more the loss of five fellow americans.

to greet with their loved ones, to support this community to pay for the winter, and to try and find some meaning amidst ourselves. to the men and women who protect and serve the people of dallas, that thursday began like any other day. like most americans each day you get up, probably have two quick a breakfast, kiss your family goodbye, and you had to work. but your work, and the work of police officers across the country is like no other.

from the moment you put on that uniform, you have answered a call that at any moment, even in the briefest interaction, may put your life in harm's way. aaron's answer that call and katrina into that call not only because she's a police officer but she is a detective on the force. they have two kids, and lauren took them fishing. he used to go to their schooling uniform. and the night before he died he bought dinner for a homeless man the next night katrina had to tell their children that their

dad was gone. they don't get it yet, their grandma says. they don't know what to do quite yet. michael crow answered that call, his his mother said he knew the dangers of the job but he never shied away from his duty. he came 1000 miles from his home state of michigan to be a cop in dallas, telling his family, his family, this is somethg i wanted to do. last year he brought his girlfriend back to detroit for thanksgiving, it was the last time he would cease family. michael smith answered that call , in the army and almost 30 years for working with the

dallas police association with which gave him the appropriately named tops cop award. a man of deep faith, when he was off-duty he could be found at church or playing softball with his two girls. today, his girls have lost their dad, god has called michael home. patrick zamarippa, he answered that call, just 32, former altar boy who served in the navy and dreamed of being a cop. he like to post videos of himself and his get on social media. on thursday night while patrick went to work, his partner kristi posted a photo of her and their daughter at a texas rangers game. and take your partner so that he could see it while on duty.

brett thompson answered that call. he served his country as a marine. years later as a contractor he spent time in some of the most dangerous parts of iraq, and afghanistan. a few years ago he settled down in dallas for a new the of service as a transit cop. just about two weeks ago, he married a fellow officer. their whole life together waiting before them. like police officers across the country, these men and their families shared a commitment to something larger than themselves. they were looking for their names to be up in lights, they

will tell you the pay was decent but it would not make you rich. they could have told you about the stress on long shifts, they would probably agree with chief of brown when he said that cops do not expect to hear thank you very often. especially from those who need them the most. the reward comes in knowing that our entire way of life in america depends on the rule of law. that the maintenance of that law is a hard and daily labor. that in this country, we do not have soldiers in the streets or malicious setting the rules. instead we have public servants. police officers, the men who

were taken away from us. that is what these five were doing last thursday, when they were assigned to protect and keep orderly and peaceful protest in response to the killing of alton stirling in baton rouge and philando castile of minnesota. they were upholding the constitutional rights of this country. for a while the protest went on without incident. despite the fact that police conduct was the subject of the protest, despite the fact that there must have been signs or slogans, or chance, with which they profoundly disagreed.

these men in this department did their jobs like the professionals they were. in fact, the police were part of the protest plan. dallas pd posted photos on their twitter feeds of officers standing among the protesters. two officers, black black and white smile black and white smiled next to a sign that read no justice, no peace. then around 9:00 p.m. the gunfire came. another community torn apart, more hearts are broken. questions about what cost and what might prevent another such tragedy. i note that americans are

struggling right now with what we have witnessed over the past week. first the shootings in minnesota and baton rouge, the protests. then the targeting of police by the shooter here. an act not just of demented violence but of racial hatred. all of it has left us wounded and angry and hurt. through the deepest faultlines of art democracy have suddenly been exposed, perhaps even widened, and although we know that such divisions are not new, though they have surely been worse even in the recent past that offers us a little comfort.

faced with this violence that we wonder if the divides of race in america can ever be bridged. we wonder if an african-american community that feels unfairly targeted by police and police departments that feel unfairly maligned for doing their jobs could never understand each other's experience. we turn on the tv, or surf the internet, and we can watch positions hard and and lines drawn, and people retreat to the respective corners. politicians calculate how to grab attention or avoid the fallout. we see all of this and it is hard not to think sometimes that the center will not hold and the things might get worse. i understand. i understand how americans are

feeling. dallas, i am here to say we must reject such despair. i'm here to insist that we are not as divided as we seen. i know that because i know america, i know how far we have come against impossible odds. [applause]. i know we will make it because of what i have experienced in my own life. what i have seen of this country and its people, their goodness and decency, as president of the united states. i know it because of what we have seen here in dallas. how all of you, have shown us the meaning of perseverance and

character. when the bullets started flying, the men and women of the dallas police, they did not flinch and they did not react recklessly. they showed incredible restraint. helped in some cases by protesters, they evacuated the area and isolated the shooter, saved more lives than we will ever know. [applause]. we mourn fewer people today because of your brave actions. [applause].

everyone was helping each other, it was not about black or white, everyone was picking each other up and moving them away. that is the america i know. the police helped -- taylor as she was shot trying to shield her four sons. she said she wanted her boys to join her to protest the incidence of black men being killed. she also said to the dallas pd, thank you for being heroes, and today her 12-year-old son wants to be a cop when he grows up. that is the america i know. [applause].

[applause]. in the aftermath of the shooting we seen mayor rawlings and chief brown, a white man and a black man with different backgrounds working not just to restore order and support a shaken city, a shaken department, but working together to unify with strength, grace, and wisdom.

in the process, we have been reminded that the dallas police department has been at the forefront of improving relations between police and the community. the. the murder rate here has fallen, complaints of excessive force have been cut by 64%. the dallas police department has been doing it the right way. [applause]. so mayor rawlings and chief brown, on behalf of the american people, thank you for your city leadership, thank you for your powerful example, we cannot be prouder of you. [applause]. [applause]. these men, this department, this is the america i know.

today in this audience i see people who have protested on behalf of criminal justice reform grieving alongside police officers. i see people who mourn for the five officer we lost but also weep for the families of alton stirling and philando castile. in this audience i see what is possible when we recognize that we are one american family, all deserving of equal treatment. all deserving of equal respect. all children of god. that is the america i know. i am not naïve, i have spoken to many memorials during the course of this presidency.

i have hugged too many families who have lost a loved one to senseless violence. i've seen how a spirit of unity born of tragedy, can gradually dissipate. overtaken by the return of business as usual. by inertia and old habits, and expediency, i see how easily we slip back into our old notions, because because they are comfortable, we are use to them. i have seen how inadequate the words can be in bringing about lasting change. i have seen how inadequate my own words have been. so i am reminded of a passage in

john's gospel, let us love not with words or speech, but with actions, and in truth. if we are to sustain the unity, we we need to get through these difficult times. if we are to honor these five outstanding officers who have lost, then we will need to act on the truths that we know. that is not easy, it makes us uncomfortable, but we are going to have to be honest with each other and ourselves. we know the overwhelming majority of police officers do

an incredibly hard and dangerous job fairly and professionally, they are deserving of our respect, and not our scorn. [applause]. i won anyone, and no matter how good their intentions may be, nonoaud, we we undermined those officers, we depend on for safety. as for those who use rhetoric to harm the police, they not only make the jobs of police officers more dangerous, they do a disservice to the very cause of justice that they claim to promote. [applause].

we also know that centuries of racial discrimination, of slavery, and subjugation, and jim crow, they did not simply vanish with the end of lawful segregation, they did not just stop when doctor king made a speech or the voting rights act and the civil rights act were signed. race relations have improved dramatically in my lifetime. those who deny it are dishonoring the struggles that helped us achieve that progress. [applause].

in america we know that bias remains. we know it. whether you are black, white, hispanic, asian, native american, middle eastern dissent, we have all seen this bigotry and our bigotry in our own lives at some point. we heard it at times in our own homes. if we are honest, perhaps we have heard prejudice in our own heads and felt it in our own hearts. we know that. while some suffer far more under racism, some feel to a greater extent discrimination dashmac. although most of of us do our best to guard against it, and teacher children better, none of

us is entirely innocent. no institution is entirely immune. that includes our police department. we know this, so when all african-americans for all walks of life, the despair of what they perceived to be unequal treatmen and study after study shows that whites and people of color experience the criminal justice system differently. but if you are black, you are more likely to be pulled over, search, or arrested. more likely to get a longer sentence, more likely likely to get a death penalty for the same crime. when mothers and fathers raise their kids right, and have the talk about how to respond if stopped by a police officer,

yes, sir, no, sir. but still fear that something terrible may happen when their child walks out the door. still fear that kids being stupid and not quite doing things right might end in tragedy, when all of this takes place more than 50 years after the passage of the civil rights act, we cannot simply turn away and dismiss those and peaceful protest as troublemakers, or paranoid. [applause]. we cannot simply dismiss it as a symptom of political correctness. were reverse racism. to have your experienced denied like that, dismissed dismissed

by those in authority, dismissed perhaps even buy your white friends, coworkers, and fellow church members, again, and again, and again, it hurts. surely we can see that. all of us. we also know what chief brown has said is true. that so much of the tensions between police departments and minority communities that they serve is because we ask the police to do too much and we ask too little of ourselves. [applause].

as a society we choose to underinvest in decent schools. we allow poverty to fester so entire neighborhoods offer no prospect for gainful employment. we refuse to to fund it drug treatment and mental health programs. [applause]. we flood communities with so many guns that it is easier for a teenager to buy a glock then get his hands on a computer or even a book. [applause]. and then we tell the police, your social worker, you're the parent, you're the teacher, you are the drug counselor.

we tell them to keep those neighborhoods and check at all costs and do so without causing any political blowback or inconvenience. do not make a mistake that might disturb our own peace of mind, and then we say in surprise when periodically the tensions boil over. we know those things to be true. they have been true for a long time. we know it. police, you know it. protesters, you know it. you know how dangerous some of the communities where these police officers serve our. you pretend as if there's no context.

these things, we know to be true. if we cannot even talk about these things, if we cannot talk honestly and openly, not just in the comfort of our own circles, but those who look different than us, or bring a different perspective, then we will never break this dangerous cycle. in the end, it is not about finding policies that work, it is about forging consensus. fighting citizen -- cynicism, and finding the will to make change. can we do this? can we find the character as americans to open our hearts to each other?

can we see in each other a common humanity and a shared dignity, and recognize how our different experiences have shaped us? that does not make anybody perfectly good or perfectly bad, it just makes us human. i'd don't know, i confessed that sometimes i to experience doubt. i have been to to many of these things. i have seen too many families go through this. but then i am reminded of what the lord tells ezekiel, i will give you a new heart the lord says. and put a new spirit in you. i will remove from you your

hearts of stone and give you a heart of flesh. that is what we must pray for. each of us. a new heart. not a heart of stone, but a hard to open to the fears, hopes, and challenges of our fellow citizens. that is what we have seen in dallas these past few days and that is what we must sustain. with an open heart we can learn to stand in each other's shoes and look at the world through each other's eyes. so that maybe the police officer sees his own son in that teenager with a buddy who is kind of goofing off and not dangerous. and the teenager, maybe the teenager will see in the police officer, the same

words values, and authority as his parents. [applause]. with an open heart, we can abandon the overheated rhetoric and oversimplification that reduces whole categories of our fellow americans, not just to opponents, but to enemies. with an open hearts, those protesting for change will guard against reckless language going forward. look at the model set by the five officers we mourn today. acknowledge the progress brought about by the sincere efforts of police officers like this one in dallas. embark on the hard but necessary work of negotiation, the pursuit of reconciliation. . .

[applause] sometimes they can be hijacked by a few irresponsible. protesters can get hurt, it can get frustrating. but even those that dislike the phrase black lives matter, we should be able to hear the pain of the family. [applause] whatever he cooked he cooked enough for everybody but that should sound familiar to us that

maybe he wasn't so different from us so that we can insist his life matters. we should hear the students and coworkers described their affection as a gentle soul and know that his life mattered a lot to people of all ages and it's a we have to do what we can without putting officers lives at risk but do better to prevent another life like his from being lost. we can worry less about who has been wronged and worry more about joining side to do right. [applause]

the killer of these police officers won't be the last person who tries to make us turn on one another. the killer in orlando gore was the killer in charleston. we know there is evil in this world. that's why we need police departments. [applause] dot as americans we can decide people like this killer will ultimately fail. they will not drive us apart. we can decide to come together and make the country reflect the good inside us, the hopes and simple dreams we share.

we know that suffering produces perseverance and character for all of us life presents challenges and suffering. accidents, illnesses, the loss of loved ones. there are times we are overwhelmed by sudden calamity natural or man-made. at times we are lost.

and as we get older we learn we don't always have control of things. not even the president does. we have control over how we respond to the world and how we treat one another. america doesn't ask us to be perfect because of our individual imperfections our founders gave us institutions to guard against tyranny and ensure that no one is above the law. a democracy that gives us the space to work through our differences and debate them peacefully to make things better even if it doesn't always happen as fast as we would like america gives us the capacity to change.

as the men we mourn today, these heroes knew better than most we cannot take the blessings of this nation for granted. the institutions of family and community rights and responsibilities. it's the hallmark of the nation. it turns out we do not persevere alone. our character is not found in isolation. soap does not arise by putting our fellow man down but by lifting others up. [applause] and that's what i take away from the lives of these outstanding

men. the pain we may feel will soon pass. they didn't die in vain. i believe our soldiers can make us a better country and can be transformed into more justice and peace. i am convinced joy comes in the morning. we cannot match the sacrifices made but surely we can try to match of their service. we cannot match their courage, but we can strive to match their devotion. may god bless their memory and