Speaker Paul Ryan delivered remarks today on the House floor in the aftermath of the attack on police in Dallas, Texas last night. His speech was eloquent and important and real. It matters, and people should hear it.

An attack on the people who protect us is an attack on all of us. Let justice be done, and let healing be done too. pic.twitter.com/Kv01WROYEu

— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) July 8, 2016

“There will be a temptation to let our anger harden our divisions. Let’s not let that happen. There’s going to be a temptation to let our anger send us further into our corners. Let’s not let that happen. That script is just too easy to write. Too predictable. Let’s defy those predictions.”

It is not an idle or competitive comparison to weigh his words against the President’s, and it is not in the interest of division or retreat to our corners. It is because this is an example of how leadership matters in times of pain and sorrow. We thanked the President for his remarks, and so did the Speaker. But his words are those which Obama should have delivered, rather than those he did.

Many conservatives have their differences with Speaker Ryan, but he should get nothing but your praise for this.