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President Speaks of Unity, Understanding at Dallas Memorial

This week, the Dallas community paid tribute to the 5 officers that died last week in a sniper attack following a peaceful Black Lives Matters protest.

During the interfaith memorial service held at the Meyers Symphony service, President Obama expressed his condolences, recalling the lives of the officers.

“Scripture tells us that in our sufferings, there is glory,” Obama said. “Because we know that suffering produces perseverance. Perseverance, character. And character, hope.

Sometimes the truths of these words are hard to see.”

The president delivered an impassioned speech, urging unity and understanding between the police and the public, adding that the country has asked police to do too much and that we do too little ourselves.

In the end, Obama said, it’s not about finding policies that work, but about forging consensus and fighting cynicism.

“Because with an  open heart we can learn to stand in each other’s shoes and look at the world through each other’s eyes,” Obama said. “So that maybe the police officer sees his own son in the teenager in a hoodie, who’s kind of goofing off but not dangerous.

“And the teenager, maybe the teenager will see in the police officer the same words and values and authority of his parents.

Obama attended the memorial with first lady Michele Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden, as well as former president George W. Bush, who spoke earlier in the service. Bush said that to renew our country’s unity the nation only to remember its values.