The latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine is causing outrage across the nation for featuring a hip-looking Dzhohkar Tsarnaev, the suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing, on its cover. At least two major retailers are refusing to sell the issue.
Boston.com is reporting that the cover story, entitled “Jahar’s World,” was written by Janet Reitman who supposedly spent two months interviewing sources. She depicts Tsarnaev as a “popular promising student” who was “failed by his family, fell into radical Islam, and became a monster.”
The article was not received well by the public which is still reeling from the April 15 attacks that left three people dead and more than 260 wounded. Tsarnaev has pled not guilty to 30 federal charges connected with the bombing.
So far, both Tedeschi Food Shops and CVS have pledged not to carry the issue.
“CVS/pharmacy has decided not to sell the current issue of Rolling Stone featuring a cover photo of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect,” wrote CVS on the company’s Facebook page. “As a company with deep roots in New England and a strong presence in Boston, we believe this is the right decision out of respect for the victims of the attack and their loved ones.”
“Tedeschi Food Shops supports the need to share the news with everyone, but cannot support actions that serve to glorify the evil actions of anyone,” the company wrote on its Facebook page. “With that being said, we will not be carrying this issue of Rolling Stone. Music and terrorism don’t mix!”
Government officials were also appalled by the magazine’s bad taste. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino issued a statement in which he said the August 3 cover rewards a terrorist with celebrity treatment.
“It is ill-conceived, at best, and reaffirms a terrible message that destruction gains fame for killers and their ’causes’.”
He added: “The survivors of the Boston attacks deserve Rolling Stone cover stories, though I no longer feel that Rolling Stone deserves them.”
In response to the uproar, Rolling Stone issued a statement in which they tried to justify their actions.
“Our hearts go out to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, and our thoughts are always with them and their families. The cover story we are publishing this week falls within the traditions of journalism and Rolling Stone’s long-standing commitment to serious and thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues of our day. The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens.”
People aren’t buying it, especially not those who were directly impacted by the tragedy.
“The City of Boston and the surrounding communities have faced many challenges since the bombings at the marathon finish line,” wrote Richard Donohue, an MBTA transit officer who was injured in the April 18 shootout, in a statement.
“The new cover of Rolling Stone has garnered much attention due to its sensationalized depiction of one of the alleged bombers. My family and I were personally affected by these individuals’ actions. I cannot and do not condone the cover of the magazine, which is thoughtless at best.”
More than 22,000 people participated in a poll conducted by Boston.com with nearly 84 percent saying they believe the cover to be inappropriate.
UPDATE: Walgreens, K-Mart and Rite Aid have now announced that they too will boycott the sale of this issue in their stores.
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