[Jayne Osborn]

I have resisted doing this up to now, but...

Eventually I found myself deciding to start a conversation, in part because
a) I live in Northamptonshire, not too far from the scene of the accident, and

b) my husband and I are both motorcyclists. (Pete has a Triumph Tiger 1200 and I own a Honda CB 500.)

So, in effect, this accident could potentially have happened to either one of us, on another day, which is a sobering thought. ("Too close to home", literally and figuratively.)

It's a tragedy... but how will it end? Will Anne Sacoolas return to the UK and face the consequences?

What are your thoughts on this? And what about Trump's participation?

Jayne

[Julie Steiner]

There is no question in my mind that the American driver should have stayed, cooperated with the local authorities, faced the consequences, and tried to help the family with their healing process.

Diplomatic immunity or no diplomatic immunity, ethical drivers do not hit and run. Period. [Edited to say: Yes, she spoke with local officers at the scene of the accident and the next day, but invoking diplomatic immunity and returning to the US does not exactly exude contrition, does it?]

Trump clearly regards this situation as a timely opportunity to affirm the power of loopholes like diplomatic immunity (and also like, ahem, executive privilege) as magic "get out of jail free" cards. The Trump Administration has an obvious vested interest in upholding any and all mechanisms that can make negative consequences for people who commit mistakes and misbehavior disappear.

The "let's surprise the grieving family with the person responsible for their son's death" photo op orchestrated by Trump demonstrated his utter lack of empathy. He truly doesn't give a damn about anyone else's feelings or goals. He thought it would make for dramatic television, and would make himself look like a good guy.

Not that this shallow, exploitative thoughtlessness on Trump's part should surprise anyone at this point. He has no sense of decency whatsoever.

[John Isbell]

Another American who feels shame for American behavior in this whole story, from the diplomat's wife to the person in the Oval Office. It is humiliating and shameful. But then, we're getting used to that.
A footnote: if the diplomat's wife had a shred of character, she might have balked at being sprung on the parents in ambush. Evidently she did not.

Cheers,
John

[Michael Cantor]

What John and Julie said. Our President is a thief, a liar, and a scoundrel - for starters - it has colored the entire nation, and I wonder if the diplomat's wife would have been so shameful in hiding behind diplomatic immunity if we had a different person in the White House. There's not a day that passes that he doesn't come up with another way to shame America and disgrace the Presidency.

[Jim Moonan]

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Yup. You will get no different side of the story from anyone I've spoken to or read about. It is every bit as repugnant to me as it is to others here; a gross abuse of what I've always thought was a dubious extension of a dubious privilege. At the very least it should be applied with discretion on a case to case basis. The way the story has unfolded, too, only confounds and flabbergasts me. I'm speechless with anger.

And you are right to draw a connection between yourself/your husband and the victim/victim's family. It makes it real and crystalizes the tragedy for what it is. "Sweeping it under the carpet" or attempting to "put lipstick on a pig" is about as dysfunctional a political response as you could imagine. We've seen it happening daily for 1,008 days and counting. It is evil incarnate.
The golden rule applies: treat others as you would have them treat you.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Jayne. Yet another excruciating reminder that we are imploding and we've got to do something before it's too late.
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[James Brancheau]

Republicans will literally back anyone. What happened with Trump having her wait to, surprise, meet them, is sick. He was hoping for a dramatic tv moment. Sick.

[Jim Moonan]

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It is such a shitstorm here (Sorry, but it's accurate). It is beyond me how this story has just been tossed into the compost pile of Trump Catastrophes without gaining any more momentum than it did. (But as I said, it's a shitstorm and things are flying everywhere).
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[Jayne Osborn]

Thank you for your comments, Julie, John, Michael, Jim and James.

Trump's ...we're going to see if we can do something... It was an accident, a terrible accident... (with an implied "just") sickens me.

Oh, well... that's all right then, Mr Trump. She didn't mean to kill him... (obviously!) but Anne Sacoolas still broke the law, with very serious consequences, and we understand that Harry Dunn's parents only want her to get a suspended prison sentence, so that she's not separated from her family. They're not vindictive people... far from it... but Mrs Sacoolas just can't be allowed to walk away from what she's done - no matter how devastated she is.

I get the impression that the odious Trump would just like to sweep the whole thing under the carpet. (We Brits also have to get used to driving on the ''wrong'' side of the road when we're not here... I've driven lots of times in California) but he can't excuse this ''terrible accident'' that way; there has to be consequences.

Jayne