Obama spoke near five empty chairs for the police officers killed last week by a black man seeking vengeance for police killings.
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The five officers – Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Michael Smith, and Lorne Ahrens – were killed on Thursday by a lone sniper during a street protest against police violence. The image of President George W. Bush, who also attended the memorial service, gathering with first responders in the rubble of the World Trade Center also sent a powerful message.
Pasco said Obama drew a parallels between the actions of the Dallas shooter and Dylann Roof, the man prosecutors say espoused white supremacist beliefs before fatally shooting nine black people inside a church in Charleston, South Carolina in June 2015.
The 15-year-old described his father as “a good man, and he will always be a good man”.
Brooke Erdmann said: “George Bush just made my day: dancing (bopping?) along to “Glory Glory Hallelujah” while holding Michelle Obama’s hand”.
The almost three dozen people invited to the White House included some police organizations that have little regard for Black Lives Matter, a group they blame for inciting violence against police officers. But Americans, I think, have a great advantage: To renew our unity, we only need to remember our values. Ted Cruz; Vice President Biden; his wife, Jill Biden; first lady Michelle Obama and former first lady Laura Bush also attended the service, as did numerous mayors and other elected officials.
“We learned a lot about the shocking emotions that police have going to work every day and they felt our pain of having to tell our children to be careful of policemen”, Sharpton said.
Despite the killings last week, Mr Obama moved to reassure the American people that the country is not as divided as it seems.
Thousands of people joined national leaders in mourning the five Dallas officers Tuesday.
“They were peacemakers in blue; they have died for that cause”, proclaimed Mayor Mike Rawlings. Bush also sought to strike a note of unity.
He added that “an objective person can’t conclude that there’s that systemic racism in our society and government that there once was”, claiming that the president’s support of Black Lives Matter only serves to “diminish the harsh reality” of previous racial injustices.
The fatal shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota were captured on video and sparked protests across the nation and charges that police officers, often white, unfairly target minorities.
The president has strongly condemned the use of violence during demonstrations, but he has expressed sympathy for their cause.
He was later killed by a robot bomb after being cornered and refusing to surrender.
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Obama has denounced the shooting as a “vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement” by a “demented” individual.
