I have been struggling with whether or not to write in detail about this very controversial subject. But there are things I just need to get off my mind.

First of all, I have a confession to make. I read the article profiling the (alleged) bomber. (Well, most of it – it is pretty long and I am not quite done yet.) It was very well written and there was obviously a lot of research and investigative journalism that went into writing it. I applaud Rolling Stones for dedicating their efforts to bringing the facts to light and educating the public on a very important topic. Lets face it – terrorism and those that participate in it are not going away anytime soon. As much as we want to believe that the world is primarily good, there is and always will be evil among us. 9/11 showed us that loud and clear. We were on alert for months, maybe even years, after that horrible day, but then we became complacent and passive.

I am not saying that what happened at the Boston Marathon could have been prevented. Honestly, I don’t know how it could have been, unless someone was privy to the brothers’ plans ahead of time. Anyone who has ever been a spectator at the Finish Line of the Boston Marathon knows what a mob scene it is. It would be nearly impossible to protect the entire area against anyone who was determined to do harm to innocent people. I do not envy the person or persons at the B.A.A. whose job it is to ensure the security of the Finish Line area on Boylston Street in the 2014 Boston Marathon. They have their work cut out for them for sure. And what about the rest of the course? The entire course is lined with thousands of people. How could it be possible to secure all 26.2 miles?

So what Rolling Stones did is commendable. They dedicated their August issue to profiling the living suspect (and to some extent, his brother and parents), to help us better understand how someone goes from being a seemingly normal college student, to a terrorist that places a bomb at the feet of an 8 year old child and walks away. And, more importantly, help us to recognize early warning signs so that these monstrous acts might just be prevented. Because if we, the American people, do not think that there are others out there like these two brothers, then we are just plain stupid.

So, I don’t have a problem with the article and the insight it provides.

I do however, have a problem with the cover, especially given the timing of the article. Not surprising, I know. But really, how could anyone have thought that was a good idea? Yeah – I get it. The picture portrays the living suspect as looking like the “boy next door”, which is the point of the whole article. He could be your friend, your neighbor, the kid sitting behind you in class. I get all that.

And I get the fact that the same picture was displayed in various Boston media reports (both digital and print) at the time of his identification and capture. But the context, source and purpose was different. Way different. And the picture did not have the title “Rolling Stones” across the top of it – a brand that is by default associated with the music industry, whether they like it or not.

The problem is, it is just too soon for the people of Boston (or anyone directly or indirectly impacted by the tragedy) to have to check out at the grocery store and see this monster staring at us from the cover of Rolling Stones magazine like he was some kind of rockstar. Many of us are still recovering from the events and trauma of that day. Many of us jump at loud noises, or at the sounds of sirens. Many of us are learning how to walk again with one or no legs. Many of us are learning how to adjust to having significant hearing loss. Many of us are still grieving over the loss of a child, daughter, son or brother. And many of us are still trying to figure out a way to move forward, in this world that is again so different than it was prior to April 15, 2013. We are not passively grieving the tragedy. Many of us are still healing from it and it is just much too soon to expect us to want to understand “how and why”.

It is a great article. But the cover choice will undoubtedly deter some people from reading it, limiting its reach, and thereby, limiting the impact it will ultimately be able to have. And that is really, truly unfortunate. It is just too soon, plain and simple.