"Requiescat In Pace" ~ Rest In Peace
I apologize. I suppose today more than most we could all use a little “fun” – but my heavy heart is just not in it.
There are too many guns which leads to too many shootings which cause too many deaths.
No one – NO ONE – deserves what has happened in the past few days, weeks, months, years.
Pres. Obama speaking from Warsaw:
My team has been keeping me updated throughout the morning of the evening in Dallas. I spoke this morning with Mayor Rawlings of Dallas to convey the deepest condolences of the American people. I told him that the federal government will provide whatever assistance Dallas may need as it deals with this tremendous tragedy.
We still don’t know all the facts. What we do know is that there has been a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement. Police in Dallas were on duty, doing their jobs, keeping people safe during peaceful protests. These law enforcement officers were targeted, and nearly a dozen officers were shot. Five were killed. Other officers and at least one civilian were wounded — some are in serious condition, and we are praying for their recovery.
As I told Mayor Rawlings, I believe that I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events, and that we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas. According to police, there are multiple suspects. We will learn more, undoubtedly, about their twisted motivations. But let's be clear: There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement. The FBI is already in touch with the Dallas police, and anyone involved in these senseless murders will be held fully accountable. Justice will be done.
I will have more to say about this as the facts become more clear. For now, let me just say that even as yesterday I spoke about our need to be concerned, as all Americans, about racial disparities in our criminal justice system, I also said yesterday that our police have an extraordinarily difficult job and the vast majority of them do their job in outstanding fashion. I also indicated the degree to which we need to be supportive of those officers who do their job each and every day, protecting us and protecting our communities.
Today is a wrenching reminder of the sacrifices that they make for us. We also know that when people are armed with powerful weapons, unfortunately it makes attacks like these more deadly and more tragic. And in the days ahead, we’re going to have to consider those realities as well.
In the meantime, today our focus is on the victims and their families. They are heartbroken. The entire city of Dallas is grieving. Police across America, which is a tight-knit family, feels this loss to their core. And we're grieving with them. I’d ask all Americans to say a prayer for these officers and their families. Keep them in your thoughts. And as a nation, let’s remember to express our profound gratitude to our men and women in blue — not just today, but every day.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/07/08/live-updates-attack-law-enforcement-dallas-texas
8 Responses to “Friday – “Requiescat In Pace””
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I was a bit stunned when I first heard of this bit of news this morning while listening to Amy Goodman's broadcast on Democracy Now. I had to replay it 3 times to make sure I heard it correctly. http://www.democracynow.org/
There are a lot of angry and upset people out there right now on both sides.
As for the killings of the two black men: one was racially motivated, the other was murder. As for the killings of the 5 officers, it was payback motivated. These are my personal feelings, not facts.
I am troubled by all of these events.
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What Horrid events!
Cross posted to Care2 at http://www.care2.com/news/member/101612212/3997636
Jim has put his finger on it when he says "on both sides." We don't need two sides. We need to come together in righteousness , justice, and compassion. The snipers in Dallas have just made it that much hsrder to do. Like everyone else, I grieve for all the dead. I am angry today, not at individuals, but at the culture we have allowed to grow which made this even conceivable.
Amen to that, Joanne.
Terrible, senseless tragedies.
What Jim said.
I too, am deeply troubled by what is happening, with the frequency of violence now.
Thank you, Nameless for this, and Joanne for cross posting.
Thanks, Nameless. It seems our country is seething with anger these days. Too much hatred and violence is happening.
Thank you for posting, Nameless, though it's sad to see that it has come to this. I wish with all my heart that this is the first and the last of its kind on a Fun Friday.