Obama calls for avoiding inflammatory rhetoric after police killing incident

Washington, July 18 (IANS) US President Barack Obama on Sunday urged Americans  to condemn provocative rhetoric which advances the political agenda by the politicians, after the killing of three police officers in the state of Louisiana. On Sunday three police officers were killed and three others were wounded in a shooting incident in Baton Rouge, second major incident in past weeks. On July 7, a black gunman killed five police officers and wounded nine others in Dallas, Texas, Xinhua news agency reported. In Baton Rouge while delivering a speech on shooting incident, Obama said that, ‘’though divisions exist in the country, everyone should now "focus on words and actions that can unite this country rather than divide it further. We don't need inflammatory rhetoric. We don't need careless accusations thrown around to score political points or to advance the agenda," The two incidents were preceded by the killings of two black men by police officers, one in Baton Rouge and another in St. Paul, Minnesota. The incidents triggered off widespread black protests against police brutality and racial discrimination in the country. In light of the latest incidents, gun control and racial tensions are expected to become one of major debate points in this year's US presidential race The motive of the latest police killing remains unclear as investigation is going on. The shooter has been identified as Gavin Long, a 29-year-old black male from Kansas city, Missouri. With mind on the upcoming national conventions to be held by the Republican and Democratic parties to select their nominees for this year's presidential race, Obama said that the "political rhetoric tends to be more overheated than usual". Reacting to the latest shooting, presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump blamed it on the "lack of leadership"."How many law enforcement and people have to die because of a lack of leadership in our country? We demand law and order," Trump said. For her part, presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton called the latest police killings as "devastating", adding nothing justifies violence and hate".