America is “not even close” to where it needs to be in terms of resolving issues between police and the communities they serve, President Barack Obama said after concluding a more than three-hour meeting Wednesday with community activists, politicians and law enforcement officials.
Obama expressed optimism, however, and said the participants — who included members of the Black Lives Matter movement — agreed such conversations need to continue despite emotions running raw.
Obama has devoted his attention this week to the gun violence directed at police officers as well as shootings by police. The focus comes a few days after a black Army veteran killed five police officers in revenge for police shooting black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the Minneapolis suburbs.
On Tuesday, Obama attended a memorial service for the five slain Dallas officers and called the families of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota to offer condolences. He said he wanted Americans to have an open heart so that they can learn to look at the world through each other’s eyes, and Wednesday’s meeting followed that theme.
Obama said it would be key to repeat the “kind of respectful conversations we’ve had here” across the country.
“The conversation that took place around this table is very different than the one that you see on a day-to-day or hourly basis in the media,” Obama said.
But Obama also said the “bad news” was that making progress is hard.
“We’re not even close to being there yet, where we want to be,” he said.
The nearly 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. White House officials acknowledged that enhancing the trust that has been frayed in so many communities will be a job for future presidents, but they said Obama was determined to get all sides to commit to steps they can take to improve relations.
Those attending the meeting included Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana and Mayor Chris Coleman of St. Paul, Minnesota, the two locations where police shootings sparked protests around the country. Mayors from Los Angeles, Newark, New Jersey, and Anaheim, California, also attended. From the administration, Attorney General Loretta Lynch joined the president.
“At a time when our country, when we are talking past each other, the president’s convening allowed us to hear one another,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Also on the list were Mica Grimm, with Black Lives Matter Minnesota, and DeRay Mckesson, who was arrested Saturday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on a charge of obstructing a highway. Police said Mckesson “intentionally” placed himself in the road after protesters were repeatedly warned to remain on private property or the curb. Mckesson was released from jail Sunday. The Rev. Al Sharpton also attended.
“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.
Sharpton said the talk, however, must lead to change. When it comes to shootings by police, “they can’t be right every time,” he said.
Police groups and activists emerged from the meeting saying they didn’t always agree with each other on the issues, but they did agree the meeting was productive and could lead to building trust and improving accountability in police departments.
“From the law enforcement perspective, we hear it, we understand it,” said Terry Cunningham, president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. “I think that too often we comment about statistics. This isn’t about statistics from one side or another. This is about emotion. This is about people’s lives. This is about fear in the community and it’s our job to make people safe.”
Cunningham said the Dallas Police Department exemplified that commitment to their community when officers used themselves as human shields to protect bystanders from possibly being shot.
Obama also took to Facebook to encourage more participation. “Going forward, I want to hear ideas from even more Americans about how we can address these challenges together as one nation. That means you,” Obama said.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
We don’t want your Hope and Change Obama get the F out of here
oboma needs to be held accountable for his actions that he know’s he has lied about from the beginning. Still not a citizen of the United States, to date according to his own illegal paperwork, as to whom he is.
obama just get out, the United States will do better without your rhetoric. What the murder rate dope as soon as you vacate.
President Obama is a part of the problem. His administration has created division throughout his time in power. Mr. Obama has ignored the laws he did not like. Mr. Obama has often sided with the lawbreakers rather than the lawmen.
As far as Al Sharpton is concerned, his rhetoric usually makes a situation worse. He and Jesse Jackson have made a living off racial strife. Sharpton’s remark that “When it comes to shootings by police, “they can’t be right every time,” shows his general says a lot. Does the reverend want a quota system where 5 percent of all shootings are automatically blamed on the officer? Rev. Sharpton does not have to live with the possibility that every time he makes a traffic stop he may be fatally shot. Police officers have to make fast decisions on a daily basis. If they fail to recognize a threat they may go home in a body bag.
If stopped by a policeman you need to keep your hands where they can be seen. The traffic stop is not the place to argue with the officer. You don’t need to make any fast or unexpected move.
He caused this problem and as usual it’s not his fault but he has the fix. The fix is throw his butt in Gitmo along with his trusted gang and the problem is solved.
Obama’s agenda is the same as that of ISIS and all true Muslims (the removal all non-Muslims from planet earth).
Besides that, he hates all people that are not black and is willing to sacrifice the lives of all America’s blacks in order to
bring down what his Muslim brothers call the “Great Satan”. Obama is part of a global plan to take us down.
Oh yes we are close to where we want and need to be. A nation no longer with you or H as president. We want to be back on the road to being a nation under the rule of law, not the rule of man, or woman.
The real issue in this election is not about either guns or only black lives matter. A lives matter, even the lives of the unborn since they are a gift from God, not govt property, not even a mother’s property so the govt has no “right” or authority to license women to be the unborn police and randomly kill these unborn humans.
What the election is becoming is this: Do we as a nation stay seeking the Kingdom of God as taught by Jesus, or become a member state in the Nation of Islam which is a kingdom of man, not women, with the caliphate as the king. This is a kingdom barren of any rights, any freedoms for the subjects that live within the kingdom. They are not citizens, they are subjects since they are ruled by the caliphate. .
Good one,But you forgot the part about throwing the key away
Key? Key to what?
Obmama does not care about America He is the problem an he is trying his best to destroy America in God We Trust an all we stand for. It is time to Fight back an vote Trump an get him an his establishment out of office Amen!!! God Bless America!!!!
Gee. I wonder why. Prayer rugs but no prayers in school, a desimated constitution, a weakened military. Where will his distruction end. Certainly not with crooked Hellary.
Obama is a sham trying to be referee. at the same time encouraging hate- full rhetoric against police, not supporting police. under Obamas charade are finding it more difficult to do there jobs. after both police and citizens are shot. Obamas maintains we should have peaceful talks! shame on you Obama. With all the money spent on education how come it seems kids in black communities still don’t understand when a police man orders them to do something if you act hostile or aggressive, your likely to get shot . grievances you take up in court thru process. This exploitation for a political agenda is most disturbing. May be Because you’d rather have a homeland gestapo on the streets as you described you wanted., even before taking office.
black lies matter— Only when it encourages hate lawlessness and chaos . to serve Obamas dark political agenda.
Militarization of local police departments is a policy that began with Bush and continued with Obama. End the War on Drugs and let people do.
“Not even close” is correct. The part not mentioned is that much of the blame/responsibility lies with Obama. He has made it worse.
While Obammy sees the issue as a matter of RACISM, the root of the problem is cultural.
Certain races have a feeling of superiority and being above reproach as well as above the law. (The Black Lives Matter Movement as well as the Hip-Hop- Culture)
While representing 15% (or less) of the population, this group commits over 50% of the murders in this country. While this group represents 15% of the population, approximately 70% of the children born in this group are illigitimate.
The dismal numbers continue into crimes committed by this group in relationship to their representation of the population at large. The number of high school graduates is yet another dismal figure.
The answer to the problem is quite simple. (although it does require accepting responsibility for their actions)
Abandon the ‘VICTIM’ ideology which has been perpetrated on America by race baiter’s Alvin Sharpdum, Jesse Jackson, Barrack Hussein Obama, and numerous others. Accept responsibility for your actions instead of blaming society at large (or anyone/everyone) for your failure to integrate into the fabric of American society.
While the race baiter’s in this country are living lavish lifestyes by keeping this group ‘on the plantation’, the answer to solving the so called ‘RACE’ problem in America lies within those whose ‘CULTURE’ is at odds with American societie’s norms.
One could logically ask, “Why do almost EVERY other race/culture not have a problem intregrating into the norms of this country?” ‘Why are they not claiming “DISCRIMINATION?”
Don says it’s time for these people to take a hard look into the mirror and do some serious self evaluation of their ‘plight’.