Barack Obama

“ But the America I know – the America I saw this week – is just not as divided as some folks try to insist. I saw it on Monday, when I met with law enforcement to talk about the challenges they face, and how too often, we ask our police to do too much – to be social workers, and teachers, guardians, and drug counselors as well.
I saw it on Tuesday, when I traveled to Dallas for the memorial service for the five courageous officers who died in the line of duty – even as they were protecting protesters with whom they may have disagreed. ”

“ The issues we’re grappling with go back decades, even centuries. But if we can open our hearts to try and see ourselves in one another; if we can worry less about which side has been wronged, and worry more about joining sides to do right, as equal parts of one American family – then I’m confident that together, we will lead our country to a better day. ”

“ The shootings in Minnesota and Baton Rouge; the protests; the targeting and murder of police officers in Dallas – it’s left all of us struggling to make sense of things at times. Now, I know that for many, it can feel like the deepest fault lines of our democracy have suddenly been exposed, and even widened. ”