"Your loss is unfair. We cannot explain it. We can
stand beside you and share your grief. And we can pray that God will
comfort you with a hope deeper than sorrow and stronger than death."
George W. Bush
(Dallas, TX) [Time]
The following is the full text of the speech former president George W.
Bush delivered at the memorial yesterday for five slain police
officers:
Thank you all. Thank you, Senator. I, too, am
really pleased that President Obama and Mrs. Obama have come down to
Dallas. I also want to welcome vice president, Mrs. Biden, Mr. Mayor,
Chief Brown, elected officials, members of the law enforcement
community. Today, the nation grieves, but those of us who love Dallas
and call it home have had five deaths in the family. Laura and I see
members of law enforcement every day. We count them as our friends. And
we know, like for every other American, that their courage is our
protection and shield.
We're proud [of] the men we mourn and the community that has rallied
to honor them and support the wounded. Our mayor, and police chief and
our police departments have been mighty inspirations for the rest of the
nation.
These slain officers were the best among us. Lorne Ahrens, beloved
husband to detective Katrina Ahrens and father of two. Michael Krol,
caring son, brother, uncle, nephew and friend. Michael Smith, U.S. Army
veteran, devoted husband and father of two.
Brent Thompson, Marine Corps vet, recently married. Patrick
Zamarippa, U.S. Navy Reserve combat veteran, proud father and loyal
Texas Rangers fan.
With their deaths, we have lost so much. We are grief stricken,
heartbroken and forever grateful. Every officer has accepted a calling
that sets them apart.
Most
of us imagine if the moment called for, that we would risk our lives to
protect a spouse or a child. Those wearing the uniform assume that risk
for the safety of strangers. They and their families share the unspoken
knowledge that each new day can bring new dangers.
But none of us were prepared, or could be prepared, for an ambush by
hatred and malice. The shock of this evil still has not faded. At times,
it seems like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces
binding us together. Argument turns too easily into animosity.
Disagreement escalates too quickly into de-humanization.
Too often, we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our best intentions. And this is
And this has strained our bonds of understanding and common purpose.
But Americans, I think, have a great advantage. To renew our unity, we
only need to remember our values.
We have never been held together by blood or background. We are bound
by things of the spirit, by shared commitments to common ideals.
At our best, we practice empathy, imagining ourselves in the lives
and circumstances of others. This is the bridge across our nation's
deepest divisions.
And it is not merely a matter of tolerance, but of learning from the
struggles and stories of our fellow citizens and finding our better
selves in the process.
At our best, we honor the image of God we see in one another. We
recognize that we are brothers and sisters, sharing the same brief
moment on Earth and owing each other the loyalty of our shared humanity.
At our best, we know we have one country, one future, one destiny. We
do not want the unity of grief, nor do we want the unity of fear. We
want the unity of hope, affection and high purpose.
We know that the kind of just, humane country we want to build, that
we have seen in our best dreams, is made possible when men and women in
uniform stand guard. At their best, when they're trained and trusted and
accountable, they free us from fear.
The Apostle Paul said, "For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of
strength and love and self-control." Those are the best responses to
fear in the life of our country and they're the code of the peace
officer.
Today, all of us feel a sense of loss, but not equally. I'd like to
conclude with the word for the families, the spouses, and especially the
children of the fallen. Your loved one's time with you was too short.
They did not get a chance to properly say goodbye. But they went where
duty called. They defended us, even to the end. They finished well. We
will not forget what they did for us.
Your loss is unfair. We cannot explain it. We can stand beside you
and share your grief. And we can pray that God will comfort you with a
hope deeper than sorrow and stronger than death.
May God bless you.
Time
Source: www.breakingchristiannews.com/