Washington – President Barack Obama says the nation will get through the recent killings of police officers with the “love and empathy of public servants” like the ones who were targeted in recent days.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
In an open letter to the nation’s law enforcement officers, Obama said overcoming will also require resilience, the grace of loved ones and the good will of activists.
The White House released the letter Tuesday. It was dated Monday, the day after two police officers and a sheriff’s deputy were killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after being ambushed by a lone gunman. Baton Rouge is where police on July 5 fatally shot Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old black man outside a convenience store. Sterling’s death sparked nationwide protests.
Sunday’s law enforcement deaths followed the July 7 sniper killings of five Dallas police officers as they guarded a peaceful protest.
Obama has said nothing justifies attacks on law enforcement, a sentiment he reiterated in the two-page letter. The Fraternal Order of Police posted the president’s letter on its social media sites.
“Any attack on police is an unjustified attack on all of us,” the president wrote.
The letter comes as Obama remains under intense criticism from some police officials and others who accuse him of fostering a climate that has led to the intentional killing of law enforcement officers.
The White House has also been resisting pressure to illuminate the building in blue light in a show of support for law enforcement. Spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday that such a step was unlikely to happen while noting the president’s steady outreach to and support for police and other law enforcement over the past couple of weeks.
Obama telephoned the families of the Baton Rouge officers on Monday to offer his and the first lady’s condolences. Last week, he paid tribute to the Dallas officers at a memorial service there. He also met a couple of times with law enforcement officials and others, and fielded questions during a televised town hall on race in America.
He was to be briefed Tuesday afternoon by Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FBI Director James Comey.
In the letter, Obama said “we will get through this difficult time together.”
“We will do it with the love and empathy of public servants like those we have lost in recent days. We will do it with the resilience of cities like Dallas that quickly came together to restore order and deepen unity and understanding,” he said. “We will do it with the grace of loved ones who even in their grief have spoken out against vengeance toward police. We will do it with the good will of activists like those I have sat with in recent days, who have pledged to work together to reduce violence even as they voice their disappointments and fears.”
“Thank you for your courageous service. We have your backs,” Obama said.
Chuck Canterbury, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, welcomed Obama’s letter and said law enforcement cannot be held responsible for such issues as poverty, unemployment or lack of mental health services, a point the president touched on in the letter.
“The work now is to assist our communities by continuing to recognize that we are but one spoke in the wheel and we will do our part,” Canterbury said. “Now it’s time for politicians and government to assist us in working in the communities we have always worked in to make life better for all Americans.”
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now go back to your golf game.
Ya. That’s what he said to Israel. Equal disdain for both.
Remember the old adage, “There are lies, there are bigger lies, and there are statistics.”
We have a new one. “There are liars, there are pathological liars, and there is Obama.” Never has the United States witnessed as racist a leader as Obama, one who has destroyed race relations, who has served to criminalize white America, all without regard to truth or morality. The only competition he has in the dishonesty department are the Muslim regimes and clans of terrorist thugs.
Obama has the backs of police like he has the backs of Israelis. He certainly does, but he is holding a dagger, plunged deep.
To all the libs out there who would defile their mouths to call me racist because I recognize the horrific damage done to this country, how so much progress has been snuffed out with Obama’s campaign to destroy America – shame on you all.
Obama has been a great president, though he hasn’t been able to fix his predecessor’s mistakes.
Wow the race baiter in chief has the men and women ( if we can still divide human beings into two genders) in blue backs?
This coming from a man who always rushes to judgment and blames police first just like his attitude about this once great country of ours !
Obama feeds into the niaeve black community that America is racialist and that law enforcement is racist so he can insure they continue to vote for democrats and his party remains in power and they can continue to have the Black community inslaved by their welfare food stamps section 8 and all the other programs that democrats now sign upto every election DRMOCRATS VOTE FOR A LIVING!
Republicans work for a living!
Hmm…..
“I’ve got your back” , where have I heard that before??
Oh now I remember, at the last AIPAC convention when he said the same thing about Israel’s security. What we ultimately learned there is that when Barak Obama says he’s “got your back ” it means he’s put a very clear, well defined, target on your back so that he can plunge the knife with pin point acuracy
Obama, this is not a reality show. It is actually politics. You can stab the backs of the Police one day by saying the US has a problem and tell the Police the next day you have their backs. Bluff bluff bluff…
At this point Mr. President, just shhh. You’re making a fool out of yourself. First you blame the cops, before being convicted by a court of law, now your statement is inconsistent with your true opinion.
We have your backs,” Obama said.
I wonder what happened. Till now, Obama ym’sh stabbed them in the back. I guess he had their backs then too.