US President Barack Obama speaks during the Interfaith Tribute to Dallas Fallen Officers at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Texas, USA, 12 July 2016. Five Dallas police officers died after an ambush assault by a gunman during a protest rally in Dallas on 07 July. EPA/LARRY W. SMITH EPA ELX22 USA DALLAS SHOOTING
On Tuesday, July 12, Pres. Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, former Pres. George Bush, and others gathered to honor the lives of five Dallas police officers killed in a deadly ambush last week. The solemn memorial service was dotted with sentiments of sympathy and honor, as the president delivered an emotion-filled address in memory of the fallen officers.
“I understand how Americans are feeling,” he said. “But Dallas, I’m here to say we must reject such despair. I’m here to insist that we are not as divided as we seem. And I know that because I know America. I know how far we’ve come against impossible odds.”
Not everyone was pleased with his speech, however.
While he commemorated the lives of the slain officers, Obama also made sure to address the persistent issue of strained race relations in America. Some felt that it was a “distasteful” move on his part, accusing the president of pushing his own agenda instead of honoring the cops. Other praised Obama for being unafraid to address the issues, instead of sweeping them under the rug.
Here’s a list of the good, bad, and ugliest reactions to Pres. Obama’s speech.
The Good:
"We cannot simply turn away and dismiss those in peaceful protest as troublemakers" —@POTUS #DallasMemorial https://t.co/S2Lueskwzf
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) July 12, 2016
The president's speech at the #DallasMemorial will go down in history as one of the best ever. Thank you Mr. President.
— Robert Katula (@undethebltarp) July 12, 2016
I am a conservative, and I am sick of all the ridiculous tweets about Obama's speech. It was actually pretty balanced. #DallasMemorial
— Kelly Campbell (@kcam23) July 12, 2016
https://twitter.com/Backarray/status/752957104818753536
@POTUS -Insisting that we root out racial bias is not an attack on cops but an effort to live up to our highest ideals.Amen #DallasMemorial
— Bernice (@Altibalba) July 12, 2016
I'm so proud of my president
— Alex Rios (@alexrioscomedy) July 12, 2016
The Bad:
https://twitter.com/toddstarnes/status/752946651199840256
Oh hey @potus @barackobama – Are you at the #dallasmemorial for FALLEN POLICE HEROES or a Black Lives Matters recruitment rally?
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) July 12, 2016
https://twitter.com/AmyMek/status/752948309535358976
Dear families of fallen police officers, we apologise that the president implies it's their own fault they were murdered. #DallasMemorial
— John August (@JohnAugustTexas) July 12, 2016
Somebody please tell the president that this is a memorial, not a State of the Union Address.#DallasMemorial
— Larry Elder (@larryelder) July 12, 2016
Imagine if Obama attended a memorial of Dylan Roof's victims and demanded that blacks need to change their ways. #DallasMemorial
— RAMZPAUL (@ramzpaul) July 12, 2016
The Ugly:
I'd rather eat a crap sandwich than listen to Obama's disingenuous claptrap today. #DallasMemorial
— Righteous⚡️Crusader (@Craftmastah) July 12, 2016
https://twitter.com/blizzack44/status/752957118756577280
https://twitter.com/JoePrich/status/752957053929304064
Obama hijacked the #DallasMemorial for cops killed by a racist to selfishly serve his political agenda lecturing U.S. & cops abt racism. SMH
— Tara Setmayer 🌻 (@TaraSetmayer) July 12, 2016
https://twitter.com/AmyMek/status/752950569204154368
https://twitter.com/ThePatriot143/status/752967799350362113
