Obama at Dallas Memorial for Fallen Officers: We Must Set Aside Despair

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, said on Tuesday at a memorial for five police officers who were shot dead by a sniper in Dallas, Texas, that Americans must set aside despair. At the ceremony, which was attended by former President George W. Bush and Vice President Joe Biden, Obama emphasized: 'I know how Americans are feeling right now, but I am here to say we must set aside despair and hopelessness. I have come here to insist that we are not as divided and fractured as it seems.' Following the killings of two African American men by police in Minnesota and Louisiana, Micah Johnson targeted several police officers during a peaceful rally in Dallas, killing five and injuring seven others. The Dallas police chief previously stated that Johnson's aim was to kill white people, particularly white police officers. As the President visited Dallas, various cities across the country were witnessing increasing racial tensions. According to Reuters, in his speech on Tuesday, Obama sought to honor the fallen officers and emphasize the role of police in society while also acknowledging the concerns of racial minorities and protesters. Obama stated: 'We know that biases still exist in our country. No one is completely innocent. No institution is entirely immune (from error), and that includes the police.' He further clarified: 'When someone views all police forces as biased and prejudiced, regardless of how good their intentions may be, they must understand that they are undermining the forces that keep us safe.' Last week, during a police shooting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a black citizen was killed. Subsequently, in Minnesota, another black citizen was killed in a police shooting after being stopped for a broken tail light. In this recent case, the girlfriend of the deceased, who was in the car with him, live-streamed the incident on Facebook, which was widely shared on social media. In both cases, the Department of Justice has been asked to conduct investigations. Meanwhile, Dallas police officials say that the sniper had intended to carry out 'extensive' attacks prior to the killings of the two black men by police and the recent protests. Police investigators found bomb-making materials and a notebook on military tactics at his residence, which was written by the attacker, Micah Johnson. Investigators believe Johnson had been practicing explosive skills for some time, and the explosives found were enough to cause devastating effects in the city (Dallas) and northern Texas regions. In this context, protests against police shootings of black individuals in the U.S. continue. Obama described the shooting of police in Dallas as wicked and abhorrent, stating that the shooter 'wanted to kill white people.' The deaths of five police officers at the hands of 'multiple snipers' in Dallas are significant.