Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told a gathering in Pittsburgh on Thursday, "Every single American in our country is entitled to live in a safe community. The violence against our citizens and our law enforcement must be brought to a very rapid end." (AP File Photo)

(CNSNews.com) - Making a plea for peace and unity in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Republican Donald Trump said Americans must unite around shared values and principles, and they must respect their flag.

"We all have to walk a mile in someone else's shoes and see things through their eyes, and then get to work fixing our very wounded country," Trump said.

Pointing to the violent protests over a police-involved shooting in Charlotte, N.C., Trump said, "Our country looks bad to the world, especially when we are supposed to be the world's leader. How can we lead when we can't even control our own cities?" he asked.

Trump said he honors and respects the right to protest peacefully: "But there is no right to engage in violent disruption or to threaten the public safety and peace of others.

"Every single American in our country is entitled to live in a safe community. The violence against our citizens and our law enforcement must be brought to a very rapid end."

Trump said law-abiding African Americans are the ones who suffer most, because many of them live in communities where "the crime is so rampant."

"And the first duty of government is to protect their well-being and safety. We have to do that," Trump said. "There is no compassion in tolerating lawless conduct. Crime and violence is an attack on the poor and will never be accepted in a Trump administration.

"Our job is not to make life more comfortable for the violent disrupter, but to make life more comfortable for the African-American parent trying to raise their kids in peace, to walk their children to school and get their children great educations. We have to cherish and protect those people."

Trump noted that for every one violent protester, there are thousands of moms and dads and kids, who want to sleep safely, walk their streets without fear and go to the grocery store.

"More law enforcement engagement, more effective policing is what our country needs, and we need it quickly."



Earlier, speaking on "Fox & Friends," Trump said he thinks Chicago should adopt a "stop and frisk" policy. "When you have 3,000 people shot and so many people dying, I mean it's worse than some of the places we're hearing about like Afghanistan, you know, the war-torn nations."