I am probably an exception, but seeing (Jahar) on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine does not outrage me.

I'm obviously not a regular reader, but the heated debate around the publication of a profile on "The Bomber" definitely caught my interest.

Once I read the feature accompanying the hazy, stylized cover photo reminiscent of young rock star on the brink of stardom I was convinced it was an important story to tell. This was accompanied by the familiar sinking feeling that I need to retract anything that could be misinterpreted as "terrorist sympathy."

I am tired of feeling apologetic for wanting broader stories told in the media and for a more empathetic look that subverts our understanding of the "Other." I do not see any harm done in placing young Jahar on the cover of a major publication. Until now, his motivations have remained largely a mystery, and his actions are surmised to be the outcome of vengeful and maladjusted behavior. We can't gain all our insight from a profile, written by Janet Reitman, of the young man involved in a contemptuous infringement on American national security, but we have started asking questions. I applaud Rolling Stone for the move.

At the same time, the speculation can continue. Jahar cannot speak for himself, which allows him to be presented through many different narratives at once. The cover photo gives a glimpse of his coy, childish naivety. It depicts his white skin, and a sort of teenage aloofness that has reportedly made him the subject of female adoration. Yet, it also asserts his difference, his immigrant roots, his Muslim background, his terrorist affiliations and points to "the monster he would soon become." Numerous accounts confirm the Tsarnaev brothers acted of their own will in executing the Boston Marathon bombings, without any connections to terrorist organizations.

This prompted a strong unease within the city at how local this act was, and at just how many Jahars could be bred in Cambridge.

The article touches on the pain and trauma that an immigrant arriving from a country rife with conflict may feel the sudden dispossession, and the constant split of two worlds. "There are many things about Jahar that his friends and teachers didn't know, something not altogether unusual for immigrant children, who can live highly bifurcated lives, toggling back and forth between their ethnic and American selves." It also mentions, in passing, the pricing out of lowincome families in Cambridge. The expensive standard of living tends to be radicalized and inevitably contributes to heightened segregation something experienced by Tsaernaev's family.

The piece reveals a boy searching for something bigger than himself, frustrated at the opportunities he feels he was denied and desperate for an escape. His family's income troubles, his parents' failed marriage, increased class divisions in his hometown and probable unresolved trauma from migrating to America at a young age all contribute to this sense of displacement. By all indicators, his older brother's embrace of radical Islamic ideology fed and most likely exploited Jahars need to belong.