Lauren MacGray

                                                                                                            September 16, 2013

                                                                                                            Journalism F Period

                                                                                                            Jahar’s World

 

The Rolling Stone Controversy

            Terrorism within the United States has been a major threat to millions of people for a long period of time. The most recent terrorist attack involved bombing one of the greatest cities in the United States and caused many people to suffer from hysteria and panic. The article, Jahar’s World, written by Janet Reitman described Jahar’s life and how it had taken a turn for the worst. The Rolling Stone’s magazine cover portrayed an image of Dzhokar Tsarnaev and made it out to seem like he was this innocent man who had played the role as a victim in this attack. This cover and article of the magazine illustrating Dzhokar Tsarnaev as an innocent victim was a major controversial topic that left an abundance of people very unhappy.

            This jaw-dropping Rolling Stone’s magazine cover portrayed a picture of Jahar that he had taken himself on his own computer. Not only did they put this picture as the cover, but it happened to be a picture that made him look innocent because of the good quality and promising captions. “How a popular, promising student was failed by his family, fell into radical Islam and became a monster.” Instead of the author of this article writing that this attack had been his fault, he stated that it was basically all his family that influenced him to do this. I strongly disagree with the fact that Jahar had blatantly been manipulated by his family because he clearly made the decision to do what he did, him and his brother, not anyone else. Also, usually making the cover of the Rolling Stone’s magazine is a huge deal and something you should be proud of because you did something great. In that case, is this in some way giving Jahar credit for doing something so awful? In no way do I think that Jahar should have been put on the cover of the Rolling Stone’s, and not only that but it happened to be a good picture of him with positive captions underneath. No one should ever even be given opportunity to question whether this kid had done something so horrible, and I feel as if this magazine cover made some people second guess it. My opinion on “The Bomber” is very strong in the sense that this kid should have never done something so drastic yet made the cover for a magazine that is usually given to people who achieve something great.

            Not only do I have a very strong opinion against this magazine cover, but thousands of others do just as well. Carmen Rasmusen Herbert  mentions, “You know what’s even more heartbreaking? How Rolling Stone can even think about turning an alleged murderer into a rock star by plastering his “soulful brown eyes” on the front page and claiming it’s all in the name of journalism…” (Decision to glorify bomber is what’s truly ‘heartbreaking’). The fact that people would try to even convince others that this guy is innocent is beyond everyone because only people who are psychologically crazy would go through with a terrorist attack. Even Jahar’s former wrestling coach was left speechless when he woke up at 4 a.m. on the morning of April 19^th. “I felt like a bullet went through my heart, To think that a kid we mentored and loved like a son could have been responsible for all this death. It was beyond shocking. It was like an alternative reality.” Even the people who had once loved Jahar do not support his decision or his appearing on the cover of the magazine. Mayo Thomas Menino, another man just as against this as everybody else, “wrote a letter of protest to Rolling Stone and several retailers with Boston ties said they would not sell the controversial issue”. Because this had caused such anger in people, Boston magazine had posted their own photos of Mr. Tsarnaev being arrested and covered in blood. A man named Sean Murphy had described this controversial issue of “accusing the magazine of “glamorizing the face of terror”. Many people throughout the United States have been negatively affected by this because it almost seems like this one man can just blow up our city and he gets credit and fame for it. “The Bomber” also known as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, has ruined thousands of people lives and has angered millions whether he believes it or not. Whether this kid did it for the fame or not, he got it. As if people weren’t upset with him enough, him making the cover of the Rolling Stone’s magazine set people off the edge even more.

            Terrorism is easily one of the worst things that a person could do or even think about doing. The United States has always tried to be very aware of this but this but now we are even ten times more careful. This has always been something that we feared and it is something that we simply will never be able to stop, people will do what they have to do. The Boston Marathon bombings has been one of the worst things that has happened in the world along with the 9/11 attacks. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his brother have ruined millions of people’s lives with such a horrible act of violence. I very strongly disagree with Jahar’s act of terrorism and his appearance on the Rolling Stone’s cover, and so does the rest of the United States.