Obama calls for unity, urges leaders to avoid divisive words

TIL Desk/World/Washington-Condemning the Baton Rouge shooting as “cowardly” assault, President Barack Obama today called for national unity and asked Americans and political leaders to avoid inflammatory words and focus on “uniting the country rather than dividing it”.

“It is so important that everyone regardless of race or political party or profession, regardless of what organisations you are a part of, everyone right now focus on words and actions that can unite this country rather than divide it further,” Obama said in an address to the nation from White House after three police officers were killed by a a former African-American Marine veteran in Baton Rouge in Louisiana.

Condemning the shooting, he said, “Attacks on police are an attack on all of us and the rule of law that makes society possible.”  “We as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies violence against law enforcement,” Obama said after describing the shooting of the police officers as “a cowardly and reprehensible assault” in an earlier statement.