Ann Dorn, the widow of retired police officer David Dorn, shot to death in St. Louis amid violent protests, has urged the nation to “remember that every life is precious” while denouncing riots that cost her husband his life.
Dorn’s widow – who like her late husband is a former St. Louis police officer – became one of the highlights of the fourth and final day of the Republican National Convention, which culminated with US President Donald Trump accepting his party’s nomination on Thursday night.
She spoke at length about the ordeal she went through on the night of June 2 when Dorn, who was trying to protect a friend’s pawnshop from looters, was shot and left laying on the sidewalk until he died of his wounds.
Dorn said she “relives the horror” of that night every day, calling on the nation to relive it with her in hopes it would “shake this country from this nightmare we are witnessing in our cities.”
She also urged cities that have been reluctant to accept federal reinforcements despite being plunged into chaos to welcome the federal assistance – invoking a common Trump talking point.
“We must heal before we can effect change, but we cannot heal in devastation and chaos,” she said.
This isn’t a video game where you can commit mayhem and then hit reset and bring all of the characters back to life
Taking aim at Democrats who have voiced support for growing calls to defund police departments around the country, Dorn said: “President Trump knows we need more Davids in our communities, not fewer.”
Dorn said that her husband “would have done anything to help them,” referring to the young black men who were arrested in connection with his murder, if he had not himself fallen victim to violence, initially peaceful protests over police brutality spiraled into.
Violence and destruction are not legitimate form of protest, they do not save black lives, they only destroy them
“We need to come together in peace and remember that every life is precious,” she added.
Dorn’s appearance at the RNC has sparked mixed reactions, with critics pointing out that Dorn’s daughters were opposed to her speaking at the event. Some have accused her of politicizing her husband’s death, arguing that “it has nothing to do with politics.”
Ann Dorn had every right to speak. I am sure her heart is broken. But when you realize her husband wasn’t a Trump supporter and that his own children were against this idea, it just takes a very human moment and makes it seem kinda icky. https://t.co/RunCndzRPt
Trump supporters hailed the speech as a watershed moment, deeming it “incredibly effective” in sending a message against wanton violence and destruction.
Ann Dorn felt like a tipping point. And I think everyone, pro- or anti-Trump, knows it. She broke through.
Ann Dorn told the story the media chose to ignore because it wasn’t politically beneficial to them.
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