George W. Bush: “Nobody cares more about the people of southern Mississippi than the Lotts.”

Violence and vitriol must be purged from the public square. Members of other political parties are not our enemies; they are our fellow citizens.

We know our words cannot help, but we believe the prayers of so many Americans will.

We learned that bravery is more common than we imagined, emerging with sudden splendor in the face of death.

We are heartbroken by the loss of life and the agony so many are feeling.