Rolling Stone Article

The Heavy Soul fellas brought this article on the Von Maur shootings to my attention.

This article disturbs me for several reasons.

First, one commenter to the article and blogger points out that in the hard copy the pages are splattered with red ink to represent blood. How distasteful Rolling Stone, seriously.

Second, I realize Hawkins had a horrible childhood. I really do. But what about the people that grow up with terrible childhoods and turn out better than fine? Those that were abused as kids that grow up to be successful? Where are the seven page stories about those individuals and their achievements? I don't understand what the writer is trying to get across in this article. Is he trying to say that Hawkins did this and is excused for doing this because his life was so shitty growing up. (Newsflash - Hawkins continued to make poor decisions throughout his life, in drugs, infidelity, etc.) Really, is that an excuse? Is he trying to place blame on the parents? Do they need to be tried on murder charges? Yes, he was a troubled man. But you didn't need to point that out Mark Boal. We knew he was troubled by what he did December 5, 2007. Thanks for writing about the obvious.

Third, the comment about Hawkins having to get a job at McDonalds because the Nebraska farming industry was so poor is just bogus.

Fourth. The description Mark Boal, who I am beginning to dislike more and more, portrayed after Von Maur's reopening is just sick. As I commented on the Heavy Soul site: "the reponening of Von Maur after the shootings was not about making up for lost profits for the holiday season. It was about helping a community move on and cope with what they dealt with. Knowing a Von Maur associate, who was at the store during the shootings and right next to one of the victims, I applaud Von Maur for how they handled this situation and how they treated their employees and victims' families. Also, less Mr. Boal forget about the reopening ceremony of the event where wreaths were placed at the store's entrance in memory of the victims. And the fact that hundreds of people made a memorial outside of the store with signs, snowflakes, cards, posters, etc. and that, once those items had to be removed, they were boxed up and placed in large plastic tubs and kept - not thrown away - shows that the support Omaha showed for the victims, the community and one another, was not taken lightly. And if he'd go to the store now he'd see a plaque hanging in the store listing the victim's names."

And finally - the stupid writer saying the Von Maur shootings have been forgotten about. Just because something is no longer in the news every single day does not mean it has been forgotten about. The country's most prolific terrorist act, 9/11, isn't in the news every day. Does that mean we forgot about what happened that September day? No. The Von Maur is the biggest incident in Nebraska in 50 years. Things like that do NOT go unforgotten.