--- title: Dallas Shooting: President Obama Speaks at Memorial Service description: President Barack Obama spoke Tuesday at a memorial service in Dallas, calling on Americans to forge consensus and fight cynicism canonical: https://time.com/4403543/president-obama-dallas-shooting-memorial-service-speech-transcript/ author: Katie Reilly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-07-12T20:30:11.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-06T09:40:54.642Z article:section: Politics og:title: Read President Obama's Speech From the Dallas Memorial Service og:description: "The pain we feel may not soon pass, but my faith tells me that they did not die in vain" og:url: https://time.com/4403543/president-obama-dallas-shooting-memorial-service-speech-transcript/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt58f4c71990a3dea4/69889ba5ab6d77bc0a6aa6c6/president-obama-dallas-speech.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3947 og:image:height: 2220 og:image:alt: Obama Addresses Interfaith Memorial Service For Fallen Dallas Police Officers og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Read President Obama's Speech From the Dallas Memorial Service twitter:description: "The pain we feel may not soon pass, but my faith tells me that they did not die in vain" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt58f4c71990a3dea4/69889ba5ab6d77bc0a6aa6c6/president-obama-dallas-speech.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Read President Obama's Speech From the Dallas Memorial Service > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=8b5cfda4-262b-4fc4-b330-a77a781488e1&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Obama's Speech on Dallas Shooting [Watch (HLS stream): Obama's Speech on Dallas Shooting](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/dz3aw22c.m3u8) (2:19)  _Published 2016-07-12. At a memorial service Tuesday for five police officers killed in an ambush during a protest in Dallas last week, President Obama said that Dallas was “suffering” but that the city and the nation would ultimately “persevere.”_  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Jul 12, 2016 8:30 PM UTC  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Jul 12, 2016 8:30 PM UTC President Barack Obama spoke Tuesday at a [memorial service in Dallas](http://time.com/4401886/dallas-shooting-barack-obama-visit/) for the five police officers [killed in an ambush](http://time.com/4400385/dallas-black-lives-matter-ngan-police-shootings/) last week, calling on Americans to [forge consensus](http://time.com/4399947/president-obama-u-s-division-dallas/) and fight cynicism. “I understand how Americans are feeling,” Obama 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.” Here are his remarks from the service at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center: --- > “” --- **Read more:** [Dallas Doubtful That President Obama Can Bridge Its Divide](http://time.com/4401886/dallas-shooting-barack-obama-visit/) --- > “” --- ## Transcript Scripture tells us that in our sufferings there's glory. Because we know that suffering produces perseverance. Perseverance character And character. Hope. Right now those words test us. Because the people of Dallas, the people across the country are suffering. And despite the fact that police conduct was the subject of the protest Despite the fact that there must have been signs, or slogans, or chants, with which they profoundly disagree. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] These men, and this department, did their jobs like the professionals that they were. And today in this audience I see people who have protested on behalf of criminal justice reform grieving along side police officers. I see people who mourn for the five officers we lost but also weep for the families of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. In this audience I see what's possible. [ APPLAUSE ] I see what's possible when we recognize that we are one American family. All deserving of equal treatment. All deserving equal respect. And I'm not naive I have spoken at too many memorials during the course of this presidency. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] I've hugged too many families who've lost a loved one to senseless violence. But America, we know that bias remains. We know it. Whether you are black or white or hispanic or asian or of middle eastern descent. We have all seen this bigotry in our own lives at some point. I've seen how inadequate words can be in bringing about everlasting change. 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