Stoneham Brothers Injured in Marathon Explosions Blast Rolling Stone for Putting Alleged Bomber on Magazine Cover

By Mark Ouellette

A pair of Stoneham brothers injured in the Boston Marathon bombings recently expressed their displeasure with Rolling Stone's decision to put alleged bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover of the August edition of the magazine, according to the duo's Facebook page.

JP and Paul Norden, both of whom lost a leg in the marathon blasts near the finish line on Patriots' Day, posted a message Wednesday on their Facebook page, calling out Rolling Stone for their "incredibly poor decision."

"...Your irresponsible behavior did more to tear open wounds and insult victims, survivors and families that have been slowly healing and accepting the horrendous acts of terrorism," reads the post. "There is a very long road that awaits the involved victims and your magazine ripped at the hearts in an instance and cut at the deepest levels and for what...to increase sales of a magazine that usually is worthy of music celebrities. Well, Rolling Stone, you just reclaimed your 15 minutes of fame, (and) we...hope it lasts only (15) minutes. 

"What you did (Tuesday) with your incredibly poor decision, was weaken extreme good that has been built from unimaginable evil."

The brothers' message continued, saying, "Today, we take a step over that magazine and hold our heads up high and ask our supporters to do the same and to also ignore the sensationalism perpetrated by (Rolling Stone)."

Several Businesses Say No to Selling Rolling Stone's August Edition

The Nordens weren't the only ones opposed to Rolling Stone's decision to run with the alleged marathon bomber on the cover, as several businesses also announced on Wednesday that they won't be selling the August edition of the magazine. Some of the businesses that have opted against selling the magazine include CVS, including the Stoneham location at 107 Main St., Roche Bros., Walgreens and Tedeschi Food Shops, Inc.

"CVS/pharmacy has decided not to sell the current issue of Rolling Stone featuring a cover photo of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect," reads a message posted 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."

Rolling Stone Reacts to Criticism 

In a press statement posted Wednesday afternoon on their Facebook page, Rolling Stone's editors said, "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."

If you could choose a Boston Marathon bombing-related cover for Rolling Stone's August edition, what specifically would you want to see prominently featured on it? Let us know by posting a comment in the comments section below.