After the tragic shooting in Dallas that claimed the lives of four officers and left multiple wounded, America has been searching for answers and once again for ways to cope with violence. President Barack Obama has already addressed the issue publicly, decrying what he described as “despicable” attacks against law enforcement, while presumptive-Republican nominee Donald Trump took to the press with a more divisive message asking to “Make America safe again” while claiming that America was more divided than ever. This led to President Barack Obama once again speaking about the incident on Saturday, while also tackling the very difficult race issues in America.
Obama made an appearance in Warsaw, CNN reports, where he talked about America perhaps not being as divided as some have suggested after what he described as a “tough week” for the country. His statement was in contrast to Trump’s statement, but he searched for common ground among Americans instead.
“There is sorrow, there is anger, there is confusion about next steps,” Obama said during a news conference in Poland. “But there’s unity in recognizing that this is not how we want our communities to operate. This is not who we want to be as Americans.”
The President directly tackled the idea of America being divided by painting pictures to the unity that America has been showcasing in the wake of the deaths of Alton Sterling, Philandro Castile as well as the officers killed in Dallas on Thursday evening.
“Americans of all races and all backgrounds are rightly outraged by the inexcusable attacks on police, whether it’s in Dallas or anywhere else,” Obama said. “That includes protesters, that includes family members who have grave concerns about police misconduct, and they’ve said this is unacceptable. There’s no division there.”
The investigation into the Dallas shootings, as well as the shootings of Alton Sterling and Philandro Castile by police, which prompted demonstrations across the country, are still underway, but the President is urging for Americans to bond together in these difficult times instead of falling prey to partisan politics.
(Via CNN)