Recently one political party (conservatives) have tried to make the President and the Democratic party appear as being "against the police." That could not be more false. Below is a letter penned by the President that was sent to all police around the U.S. BTW- We are friends with several police officers and thought this was SO important to share.
Read President Obama's Open Letter to America's Law Enforcement Community
Summary:
The
President: "Every day, you confront danger so it does not find our
families … We recognize it, we respect it, we appreciate it, and we
depend on you." In the wake of the tragedies in Dallas and Baton Rouge, President Obama
penned a letter to the men and women of America's law enforcement
community. The President's letter was shared with officers around the
country.
Here is a transcript of the President's letter:
To the brave members of our Nation’s law enforcement community:
Every day, you confront danger so it does not find our families, carry
burdens so they do not fall to us, and courageously meet test after
test to keep us safe. Like Dallas officer Lorne Ahrens, who bought
dinner for a homeless man the night before he died, you perform good
deeds beyond the call of duty and out of the spotlight. Time and again,
you make the split-second decisions that could mean life or death for
you and many others in harm’s way. You endure the tense minutes and
long hours over lifetimes of service.
Every day, you accept this responsibility and you see your colleagues
do their difficult, dangerous jobs with equal valor. I want you to know
that the American people see it, too. We recognize it, we respect it,
we appreciate it, and we depend on you. And just as your tight-knit law
enforcement family feels the recent losses to your core, our Nation
grieves alongside you. Any attack on police is an unjustified attack on
all of us.
I’ve spent a lot of time with law enforcement over the past couple of
weeks. I know that you take each of these tragedies personally, and
that each is as devastating as a loss in the family. Sunday’s shooting
in Baton Rouge was no different. Together, we mourn Montrell Jackson,
Matthew Gerald, and Brad Garafola. Each was a husband. Each was a
father. Each was a proud member of his community. And each fallen
officer is one too many. Last week, I met with the families of the
Dallas officers who were killed, and I called the families of those who
were killed in the line of duty yesterday in Baton Rouge. I let them
know how deeply we ache for the loss of their loved ones.
Some are trying to use this moment to divide police and the
communities you serve. I reject those efforts, for they do not reflect
the reality of our Nation. Officer Jackson knew this too, when just
days ago he asked us to keep hatred from our hearts. Instead, he
offered—to protestors and fellow police officers alike—a hug to anyone
who saw him on the street. He offered himself as a fellow worshipper to
anyone who sought to pray. Today, we offer our comfort and our prayers
to his family, to the Geralds and the Garafolas, and to the tight-knit
Baton Rouge law enforcement community.
As you continue to serve us in this tumultuous hour, we again
recognize that we can no longer ask you to solve issues we refuse to
address as a society. We should give you the resources you need to do
your job, including our full-throated support. We must give you the
tools you need to build and strengthen the bonds of trust with those you
serve, and our best efforts to address the underlying challenges that
contribute to crime and unrest.
As you continue to defend us with quiet dignity, we proclaim loudly our
appreciation for the acts of service you perform as part of your daily
routine. When you see civilians at risk, you don’t see them as
strangers. You see them as your own family, and you lay your life on
the line for them. You put others’ safety before your own, and you
remind us that loving our country means loving one another. Even when
some protest you, you protect them. What is more professional than
that? What is more patriotic? What is a prouder example of our most
basic freedoms—to speech, to assembly, to life, and to liberty? And at
the end of the day, you have a right to go home to your family, just
like anybody else.
Robert Kennedy, once our Nation’s highest-ranking law enforcement
official, lamented in the wake of unjust violence a country in which we
look at our neighbors as people “with whom we share a city, but not a
community.” This is a time for us to reaffirm that what makes us
special is that we are not only a country, but also a community. That
is true whether you are black or white, whether you are rich or poor,
whether you are a police officer or someone they protect and serve.
With that understanding—an understanding of the goodness and decency I
have seen of our Nation not only in the past few weeks, but throughout
my life—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. 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.
As we bind up our wounds, we must come together to ensure that those
who try to divide us do not succeed. We are at our best when we
recognize our common humanity, set an example for our children of trust
and responsibility, and honor the sacrifices of our bravest by coming
together to be better.
Thank you for your courageous service. We have your backs.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
The reason this letter has value is that we want and deserve to change the National Dialogue. The people of this country respect law enforcement. Now we continue to speak out about the issues that have helped create disconnects with members of the communities to work so hard to protect.
We can and do provide the best quality law enforcement that we can but we cannot be held responsible for the social issues such as poverty, lack of mental health services, unemployment, and abject poverty. 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. 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.
