[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 112 (Tuesday, July 12, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1095]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 FINDING MEANING IN THE DALLAS TRAGEDY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 12, 2016

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, one week ago today in the Dallas 
Central Business District, a lone gunman, motivated by anger and rage, 
terrorized a peaceful assembly of my fellow Texans protesting injustice 
by unleashing a hail of bullets from an automatic rifle that took the 
lives of five officers of the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Area 
Rapid Transit and wounded twelve others. Today I joined my fellow 
Texans and others at the memorial in Dallas.
  Earlier today, a memorial in honor of the fallen was held at Dallas' 
Meyerson Symphony Center, attended by several hundreds, including the 
President of the United States and the First Lady; Vice-President Biden 
and Dr. Jill Biden; former President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura 
Bush; members of the Texas congressional delegation, representatives of 
law enforcement agencies from across the nation.
  President Obama reminded us that in the aftermath of one of the most 
tumultuous weeks in memory that the nation is not as divided as it 
seems and urged the nation to find meaning in the midst of sorrow by 
working together so that we can ``preserve those institutions of family 
and community, rights and responsibilities, law and self-government 
that is the hallmark of this nation.''
  I especially appreciate the remarks of former President George W. 
Bush who reminded us that ``to renew our unity, we only need to 
remember our values'' and that we ``are bound by things of the spirit, 
by shared commitments to common ideals, and that we are at our best 
when we practice empathy, which is the strongest ``bridge across our 
nation's deepest divisions.''
  Mr. Speaker, there is much wisdom in President Bush's admonition that 
we avoid judging other groups by their worst examples, while judging 
ourselves by our best intentions.
  We are one country with a common future and a single destiny, and, 
deep down, we know that President Obama was right when he said that we 
all must aspire and strive for an open heart, where we ``worry less 
about which side has been wronged, and worry more about joining sides 
to do right.''
  Due to an injury sustained the week before, Texas Governor Greg 
Abbott was not able to attend the moving tribute to the fallen Dallas 
officers so I want to extend to him my best wishes for a complete and 
speedy recovery and to commend and associate myself with the following 
statements from his Open Letter to the People of Texas:

       ``Though anguish and sorrow may darken the days ahead, we 
     will not be overcome by evil--we will overcome evil with 
     good. Texas is an exceptional state with exceptional people. 
     We've faced tough challenges in the past, but we have come 
     together to overcome those challenges. In the coming days, 
     there will be those who foment distrust and fan the flames of 
     dissension.
       ``To come together--that would be the greatest rebuke to 
     those who seek to tear us apart.''

  Mr. Speaker, what is called for in sorrowful times likes this is 
unity and healing and the faith that a righteous cause can only be 
advanced by righteous words and actions.
  Let us remember and honor the fallen and wounded in Dallas by 
rededicating ourselves to the spirit of empathy and love and respect 
for human dignity that has made and will keep our country the wonder of 
the world.