What seemed to propel the confusion saturating the media’s initial coverage of Aaron Alexis was the role of religion and, more specifically, the profile on Buddhists. Why would a reporter expect a person of another religion to “pick up a weapon and kill twelve people,” but not a Buddhist?
Michael Jerryson
Michael Jerryson is an associate professor of religious studies at Youngstown State University. Since 2004, he has lived and worked in Buddhist-Muslim conflict zones throughout Southeast Asia. Among his publications, he is co-editor of Buddhist Warfare, author of Buddhist Fury: Religion and Violence in southern Thailand and his forthcoming book with OUP, If You Meet the Buddha on the Road: Buddhism, Politics, and Violence. Learn more about Jerryson’s work at his website and his Youngstown State University faculty bio page.
