Remarks as prepared for delivery
Thank you, Craig [Floyd], for the introduction, and for
everything you do to ensure we honor our fallen law enforcement officers. And
John Adler, our good friend. It is a great privilege for me to be here with all
of you this evening.
We gather to mourn these heroes; to remember them; and to
celebrate them. We mourn these fallen officers. We cannot avoid this stark
truth. We are here because these men and women gave everything, gave their very
lives — for us.
Each of these officers was more than just a name etched in
stone on a memorial; they were persons who meant the whole world to someone —
to a parent, a sibling, a spouse, or a child. We also remember these heroes —
because that is our modest way of repaying a debt that can never be fully repaid.
And we remember them so that years from now, others will learn their stories,
and be inspired to follow their examples of selfless service.
Finally, we celebrate these heroes. How can we mourn our
loss, yet also celebrate? Because after a time, the shadow of grief gives way
to the brightness of gratitude. We give thanks for who these men and women
were, and we celebrate what they did, and what they stood for.
We gather for this vigil on the National Mall, amid
monuments and memorials to the statesmen who gave us the gift of liberty. But
for this gift to endure, it must be an ordered liberty, secured by the rule of
law. Our constitutional structure. And for the rule of law to be real, rather
than an abstraction, we need brave men and women who are willing to defend and
uphold it—on foreign battlefields and in our communities.
That is what these fallen heroes did for us. So tonight, we
mourn their loss; we remember their stories; and we celebrate the gift of
ordered liberty that they helped to secure. And lastly, to all those serving
here I have a simple message for each of you: We have your back and you have
our thanks.
I believe it is one of the highest callings of my job to
call attention to your successes and encourage our fellow citizens to support
you in your difficult and dangerous work. And as long as I am the Attorney
General of the United States, the Department of Justice will have the back of
all honest and honorable law enforcement officers.
May God bless the souls of those we honor tonight. May God
bless each of you. And may God bless this wonderful country of ours.
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