‘He deserved better than this’

About 4,000 paid their respects Wednesday to the late Sen. Clementa Pinckney, D-Jasper, and his family at South Carolina’s State House. Some of their comments:

‘The price he paid’

“It’s very important to me because, first of all, I’m an AME. He’s my brother in Christ. He fought for the injustices in the state of South Carolina as well as the nation. And giving up my time to be here early meant nothing to me in comparison to the price he paid.”

— Dorothy McBride, a retired Columbia resident, who arrived at the State House about 9:30 a.m. to be among the first in line to pay respects

‘I can’t imagine’

“It’s been hard, because I can’t imagine what she’s going through.”

— Twelve-year-old Bonnie Swan-Kloos of her friend Eliana Pinckney, the slain senator’s daughter. Bonnie and her mother, Suzanne Swan, laid bouquets of flowers by a memorial near Pinckney’s casket on the second-floor lobby.

‘We stand with them’

“We wanted to be sure that our African-American brothers and sisters know that we stand with them. We all have the same God. No one is loved any more than the other.”

— Ruth Gunnell of Columbia, who went to the State House with friend Iva Dean Sessions, and Sessions’ granddaughter, Emily Pitts of Charleston

‘Just hoping for change’

Pinckney “truly has left his footprints on the sands of time. We’re just hoping for change.”

— Willie Black, a Benedict College professor, who met Pinckney when both were earning their master’s degrees in business administration from the University of South Carolina. Black, who said he caught up with Pinckney a few times a year to talk politics, was asleep last Wednesday when his wife woke him to tell him that his former classmate had been killed.

‘The harm or the hate’ of adults

“I really truly want (my grandson) to trust God no matter how horrible the situation is. He’s 4 years old. He does not know color of the skin. … (Children don’t know) the harm or the hate adults have.”

— Wanda Lykes of Swansea who brought her 4-year-old grandson, Donrell, to the State House. The two wore T-shirts that had nine candles and a cross on them and said “Praying for Charleston.”

‘Legacy will be ever greater’

“He deserved better than this. I don’t think any of us go into public life expecting to become martyrs. But he did good work while he was here. I believe that his legacy will be even greater than the work he did.”

— Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, who hugged both of Pinckney’s young daughters and other family members

‘They’re not alone’

“They’re not alone in their grief.”

— Phillip Washington, 51, who waited in line to pay respects with his son Josiah, 15, who said he was angry but also hopeful for justice

Cassie Cope

This story was originally published June 24, 2015 at 6:41 PM with the headline "‘He deserved better than this’."