Not that I blame Obama alone. I mean, I'm not there, but I kind of doubt he's rocking an "Applause" sign. But his speech is a political speech, full of built-in pauses and sure-fire response-getters. And I do feel like he could have told his writers "this is a memorial service -- it shouldn't be about politics. It shouldn't be about me."
Maybe it's because I was a part of a public tragedy, albeit one of a very different nature. Maybe that's why this feels triggering for me. All I know is if I were sitting in that audience because of the death or injury of a loved one, I would be horrified to have the house erupt into a standing ovation, for any reason.
