Woman's Boston Marathon Bombing Costume: What It Says About Everyone - Camille Vigil

     Last week, a 22-year-old woman from Michigan has created nation-wide (and even world-wide) controversy over her Halloween costume in which she dressed as a Boston Marathon Bombing victim, wearing runners' gear and sporting fake bruises and cuts. She posted a picture of herself in costume on twitter and instagram, which then cued national backlash for her extreme lack in judgment. The backlash began with people directing messages at her through social media, but soon escalated to death threats being mailed to her home and voicemails being left on her cellphone after people had tracked down her contact information. These outrageous threats have become so extreme that it has also raised the question of how social media has altered how we react to offensive actions such as this woman's photo. Psychologists have been analyzing the situation, saying that because technology has taken the "personal" aspect out of this sort of communication, people are more inclined to responding in a more aggressive fashion than if they were confronting someone in person and seeing their reaction within that instant.
     I think this story is very interesting. Though I do feel that this woman is at LARGELY at fault, and deserves much of the hate she has been receiving, I do think that also reflects badly on those who have responded in such extreme ways, such as with threatening letters. It almost makes them as tacky as she is, seeing that these letters threatening death promote violence out of hate for someone, just as this woman's costume (which she oddly portrays in a gleeful and carefree way) references the crimes committed out of hate by the Boston Bombers. I do think, however, that these messages directed at this woman originate with good intentions, but overreached the limits blurred by technology.

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/woman-s-boston-marathon-bombing-costume--what-it-says-about-everyone-205502002.html