In a rare sight, former president George W. Bush shared the podium with President Obama (AFP)
President Barack Obama delivered a personal and powerful message in Dallas today, grieving the death of five police officers in the last week's hate attack, but consoled an entire nation, divided by race and fear.
"I know that Americans are struggling right now with what we've witnessed over the last week. First the shootings in Minnesota and Baton Rouge, the protests, then the targeting of police by the shooter here, an act not just of demented violence but of racial hatred. All of it has left us wounded and angry and hurt. It's as if the deepest fault lines of our democracy have suddenly been exposed, perhaps even widened," an emotional President Obama said.
In a rare show of unity, an Imam, Rabbi and a Priest prayed together at the Inter Faith memorial and an exceptional partnership - that of a black police chief and a white mayor - hoped to set an example.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings introduced Police Chief David Brown as "my rock" and someone who represents not only Dallas but police officers and chiefs across the country.
And a sight we rarely see, former President George W. Bush sharing the podium, and a cause, with President Obama.
Mr. Bush who referred to the five officers, killed in the attack, as his "Dallas family" said, "Too often we judge others by their worst judgements, while judging ourselves by our best intentions."
President Obama admitted that building bridges will not be easy, "America, we have all felt this bias. We have all felt bigotry at some point in our lives. We have heard prejudice in our heads and felt it in our heads," he said.
But walking the tightrope between condemning police brutality against people of color and expressing solidarity with law enforcement is difficult to balance.
Civil rights leaders have accused President Obama of not visiting Louisiana and Minnesota, where two black men - Alton Sterling and Philando Castile - were innocent victims of police violence last week and sparked a surge of protests across America.
Conservatives blame President Obama for not sympathizing enough with law enforcement's cause and giving credence to 'Black Lives Matter' protesters.
The White House says President Obama stayed up all night working on his speech. This was the 11th time during his presidency that he spoke of unity, but even the first black President of the US, someone who has experienced both sides of this profound gulf - between authority and minority - could not hide his frustration over this deep divide.