Heidi Alexander: “I thank Senator Corker for his eloquent and obviously heartfelt comments. He mentioned the word that we have heard most…”

“I thank Senator Corker for his eloquent and obviously heartfelt comments. He mentioned the word that we have heard most often since last Thursday, when he and I first got word of this tragedy, and the word is ``heartbroken.'' We are heartbroken for the lives that were lost, heartbroken for the families that remain, and heartbroken for the community of Chattanooga. We can see the deep emotion that Senator Corker has expressed. As a resident and former mayor of Chattanooga, that community is very special to him. On Friday at 5:30 p.m., in Mount Olivet Baptist Church, there was a memorial service that nearly 1,000 people attended. Senator Corker, our Governor, the police chief, and others spoke. I know most people in the country know about what happened that day. Most of them would have liked to have been there to do what they could in a time such as this. You never know quite what to say. Sometimes all you can do is just be there. This is especially hard because these were young men--young men in the service of our country, young men whose lives were filled with happiness, young men who had the expectation of a long life for themselves, young men who were filled with duty and service. They were living in a strong community. Faith and the sense of helping one another is strong Chattanooga faith. Chattanooga is a place of good neighbors. Chattanooga was recently named the best midsize city in America.…”