Hillary Clinton: 'There is Too Much Violence and Hate in Our Country'

Springfield, IL — Standing where Abraham Lincoln once did in 1858, Hillary Clinton spoke Wednesday of race and economic opportunity, of what divides Americans today and what could bring us together.

Clinton walked into Springfield's Old State Capitol and immediately drew upon Lincoln's "House Divided" speech, delivered years before the bitterly divided nation plunged into Civil War, to highlight our need to find common ground.

"President Lincoln led America during the most challenging period in our nation's history," Clinton said. "He defended our Union, our Constitution, and the ideal of a nation ‘conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.’ His legacy included laws and amendments that enshrined those values for future generations. They protect and guide us still.

"I am here in this place because the words Lincoln spoke all those years ago still hold resonance for us now. ... Remember he said, 'A house divided against itself cannot stand ...'"

The presumptive Democratic nominee for president spoke of racial bias, the prevalence of guns and violence on our streets, mistrust and economic despair, saying all of these matters are connected.

"Despite our best efforts and highest hopes, America’s long struggle with race is far from finished," Clinton said.

One week after two black men were killed by police under questionable circumstances, and five police officers were gunned down in an ambush by a man with an assault rifle who wanted "to kill white police officers," Clinton chose this time and this place to speak about race, justice, opportunity and our obligations to each other.

"The challenges we face today do not approach those of Lincoln's time. Not even close. And we should be very clear about that," she said. "But recent events have people across America asking questions about whether we are still 'a house divided.' "

She named Philando Castile, a black St. Paul schools employee shot dead in suburban Minnesota earlier this month during a traffic stop as he reached for his license. His dying moments and his girlfriend's incredulous, mournful comments were livestreamed on Facebook.

She named Laquan McDonald, an addled black teenager shot 16 times by a Chicago police officer as he ambled down a city street, surrounded by cops. The officer is now charged with first-degree murder.

She named Sandra Bland, a young black woman who was stopped for a traffic violation on a Texas road, then wrestled to the ground by a police officer and sent to jail, where she died a few days later. The Naperville woman died one year ago today.

And Clinton named all five of the white Dallas police officers murdered last week by sniper bullets — Brent Thompson, Lorne Ahrens, Patrick Zamarripa, Michael J. Smith and Michael Krol — as they protected a Black Lives Matter march. This week, these five heroes are being laid to rest.

"There is too much violence and hate in our country. Too little trust and common ground. It can feel impossible to have the conversations we need to have to fix what's broken," Clinton said.

Where do we begin? Despite our different attitudes and ideas, Clinton said she believes we can agree our neighborhoods should be safer and our people should be able to find better jobs.

"And all of that starts with doing a better job of listening to each other," Clinton said.

Many of our other problems, the crime and violence plaguing destitute quarters of our cities and suburbs, are rooted in the lack of economic opportunity.

"... despite being the richest country on earth, we have too much economic inequality – and that also undermines the foundation of our democracy," Clinton said. "Lincoln understood that threat, too. He deeply believed everyone deserved – in his words – ‘a fair chance in the race of life.’ He saw it as a defining feature of the United States, and believed it was vital that hardworking people be free to enjoy the fruits of their own labor."

As president, Clinton said she intends to move quickly to create more jobs.

"In my first 100 days as president, we will make the biggest investment in good, well-paying jobs since World War II," she said. "We do need to make sure our economy works for everyone, not just for those at the top."

She also said we need to support our police departments at the same time we hold those who do wrong in the name of the law accountable.

"Time after time, no one is held accountable, and surely we can all agree that's deeply wrong and needs to change," Clinton said. "Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity."

That includes respecting police officers "who are trying to get it right."

"Our men and women in blue put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe and keep our democracy strong. Remember what (the five officers slain in Dallas) were doing when they died. They were protecting a peaceful march. They were people cloaked in authority making sure their fellow citizens could exercise their right to protest authority. ... And they gave their lives for it."

She also addressed the number of weapons in the hands of Americans and the ease with which we can purchase them, noting how repeated polling shows that the majority of Americans support common-sense background checks on firearms purchasers.

"Now I understand that just saying these things together may upset some people. I’m talking about police reform just a few days after a horrific attack on police officers. I’m talking about courageous, honorable police officers just a few days after officer-involved shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota," Clinton said. "I’m bringing up guns in a country where just talking about comprehensive background checks and getting assault weapons off our streets gets you demonized.

"But all these things can be true at the same time.

"We do need criminal justice reform to save lives and to make sure all Americans are treated as equals in rights and dignity. We do need to support our police departments that are trying to get it right, and honor the men and women who protect us every day. We do need to do more to stop gun violence. We may disagree about how to do these things, but surely we can all agree with those basic premises."

Clinton last made an appearance at the Old State Capitol one day before Illinois' March 15 primary, hosting a town hall that aired on MSNBC. President Barack Obama announced his bid for the presidency here in 2007, and he also drew upon Lincoln's legacy.

Later Wednesday, Clinton will appear at a fundraiser in Winnetka on the North Shore at the home of Laura Ricketts, a part-owner of the Chicago Cubs. Clinton's Republican opponent, Donald Trump, visited Chicago on Tuesday for a fundraiser hosted by GOP moneyman Ron Gidwitz. Trump did not make a public appearance.

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