Sure-
Those that fly off the handle with these sort of stories tell more about themselves than the story itself tells about an event.
There are many examples of events or issues that become these sort of rallying points around which the lemmings gather. These events become a battle cry for people that already have very strong feelings on an issue. Another example, Abu Gharib or Elian Gonzalez.......... Essentially, it’s this exact thinking why the Muslim community fly’s off the handle when they see doctored up pictures with a highly emotional article full of factual half truths of what the Jews/Israel did, when the blacks in the US immediately fly off the handle with the N.D. Lacrosse team. These people all already “know” something to be true and it’s just a matter of the right event sparking their short emotional and irrational fuse.
People give insight into their paradigm (so to speak- the world they wish it were and how they want to see things) and their inability to stay rational, objective and without emotion coming to what one would call “truth” by simply charging forward half baked on these issues. Like a bull seeing a the red cape, they charge into the issue and fill in all the voids and questions with assumptions and come to the outcome they wish it were. By doing this, they inevitably make an ass of themselves (not always, but most of the time).
Another such innocent victim of ruthless police brutality: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/669597-peyton-hillis-notre-dame-boston-marathon-and-mondays-late-sports-buzz/entry/65589-crystal-mangum-duke-lacrosse-rape-accuser-may-face-murder-charges
There are many examples of events or issues that become these sort of rallying points around which the lemmings gather. These events become a battle cry for people that already have very strong feelings on an issue.
Well, thank the heavens that you've been able to keep a completely open mind.