For a full transcript of President Obama’s speech from the Dallas memorial service, click here.
The tragedies of violence that have played out across our cities this summer remind us the we, as a People, are faced with enormous challenges in protecting and nurturing this fragile idea of America as a democracy. The strong foundations of our rhetoric are weakened by fear and callous disrespect for the humanity that we call the other. Only through the honest dialog of the heart and unflinching commitment to truth can we replace unfettered violence with hopeful action as the preferred tool for shaping healthy communities. Never has our work at the Center for Urban Resilience and our efforts to empower communities been more important. As the World’s wealthiest developed nation, we have no excuse for failing to achieve the goals outlined so eloquently in our Constitution. Our Nation and The World depends on this outcome so that we can truly be a resilient beacon for all of Earth’s inhabitants. – CURes Executive Director, Dr. Eric Strauss