William Owens’ widow and father
[ by Charles Cameron — a meditation on grief, politics and the raid in Yemen ]
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That long moment with SEAL William “Ryan” Owens‘ widow, Carryn Owens, was the central human moment of President Trump‘s speech to the Joint session of the United States Congress today.
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My emotions were varied and braided. The widow’s grief was obvious, and I felt and grieved for her, as I’m sure we all did.
What the President did w Owen's widow was capital P Presidential. It was the single most extraordinary moment I've seen from Trump – by far.
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) March 1, 2017
At the same time, the President featuring it in his speech seemed manipulative and, in the worst sense, political:
It was by far the grossest thing Trump has done and reporters are bizarrely intoxicated by it https://t.co/fGG0Ap3627
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) March 1, 2017
As I say, my emotions were varied and braided.
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Nor let us forget the father’s grief, which expressed itself in an angry, anguished question —
— nor, finally, the grief of the Awlaki family at the loss in that same raid of Nawar Anwar Al-Awlaki, Sheikh Anwar Awlaki‘s 8-year-old daughter — an American girl among the civilian casualties.
I grieve again.
