Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the answer to feeling helpless is “never violence” in responding Friday to the deadly shooting in Dallas, which saw five police officers killed and seven others injured while trying to protect a peaceful protest.
In a five-minute statement, Lynch said that despite feelings of “helplessness” and “fear” among Americans, the answer is “never violence.”
“After the events of this week, Americans across our country are feeling a sense of helplessness, of uncertainty and of fear,” Lynch said. “Those feelings are understandable and they are justified. But the answer must not be violence. The answer is never violence.
“Rather the answer must be action: calm, peaceful, collaborative and determined action,” Lynch continued.
She also argued that Americans must take a “hard look” at new gun safety measures, pointing to “the ease with which wrongdoers can get their hands on deadly weapons and the frequency with which they use them.”
Lynch also touched on the ongoing political discourse, calling on Americans to reject “easy impulses of bitterness and rancor” in favor of working together to end violence of this sort.
Toward the end of her statement, Lynch thanked police officers across the nation for their sacrifice and their continued work to protect lives, noting also at one point the ability for those to peacefully protest.
“To our brothers and sisters who wear the badge,” Lynch said. “I want you to know that I am deeply grateful for the difficult and dangerous work you do every day to keep our streets safe and our natoins secure.”
