Sinking Stone

Notes of Concern…

                …Jackson Blair

Sinking Stone

On July 24^th the last hospitalized victim of the Boston bombers was released from the hospital.

He lost a leg.

He had 49 surgeries during his stay.

Shortly before his release Rolling Stone Magazine put his attacker on their cover. They did not use a picture of the terrorist at work. Instead, they used a picture that was called fluffed and buffed.

It amazes me that we continue to ignore the truly injured and champion the villains.

I think of the family that went to Boston to watch the Marathon. These cold-blooded killers walked right up to that family, placed a bomb at their feet, and walked away. That family lost a young son. The daughter lost a leg. The mother had shrapnel in her brain.

Are any of these people featured on the cover of a magazine?

I am sorry if the terrorist had a tough childhood.

I am sorry if the terrorist had a dysfunctional family.

I am sorry if the terrorist could not stand up to his older brother.

But at the end of the day, the terrorist went along with his brother, placed those bombs at the feet of the innocents, killed an MIT policeman just to get his gun, and then ran over his own brother as he tried to escape the police.

This may well be my shortest column.

But I want it to be one of the most important.

If you have a dysfunctional family, a very persuasive brother, and are a religious zealot you still do not get to kill and maim innocent people without suffering the judgment of society.

Rolling Stone should be ashamed. Frankly, I hope every American with a conscience cancels their subscription. We cannot encourage this kind of journalism. It speaks so badly of us.

I am ashamed of their self -serving attempt to sell the magazine with an outrageous cover.

I am ashamed they tried to present this terrible terrorist in a more favorable light.

This is not news. This is pandering to the lowest level of our desire to make heroes out of criminals.

Let’s be better than this.

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 jacksonblair@gmail.com or leaving a comment on his blog at

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