Statement Honoring Law Enforcement Officers

You are gathered here tonight to honor the memory of 298 of your fellow law enforcement officers who laid down their lives to make our society more lawful and our lives more secure. In the finest tradition of America's law enforcement, every day these officers took to the streets and put the safety and well-being of other Americans above their own. By giving their lives to uphold the rule of law, these officers made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedom. They are American heroes, and I thank them and their families on behalf of a grateful nation.

Tonight then, as you add the names of these brave men and women to the many thousands of fallen officers whose names already adorn the walls of this great memorial, let us honor the memory of all of these officers by rededicating ourselves to restoring the line between right and wrong and purging our society of the dark forces that threaten our common peace, our freedom, and our way of life.