The decision by Rolling Stone Magazine to put Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on their magazine cover has created quite a stir. The first reactions were people didn't want to buy it, and thought they were glamorizing him and giving him publicity and notoriety, and they especially didn't like the picture being used. The "glamorous" and "flattering" picture of him before the bombing brought anger to many people in the Boston area and others affected by the bombing tragedy. Now, many retail outlets have decided to not sell the issue of Rolling Stone, and has pulled the issue from their stands. I abhor censorship, but I can see why people are upset. Some people are saying it is because the photo makes him appear like maybe any kid in America, and that is unsettling to many. He does not look like a mysterious, dark, foreign stranger in a faraway land; homegrown terrorists can live next door now.
In the latest twist to this stir a police photographer, Sgt. Sean Murphy, unofficially and against policy released very unflattering pictures of Tsarnaev to Boston Magazine when the suspect surrendered in that backyard after hiding in a boat. In the photos he is bloody and disheveled. The police sergeant may lose his job over it. What do you think? Head on over to our Justice Through Music Facebook Page and start a conversation!
