Regardless of what you put on the front page it was still a poor decision. As a veteran and a public servant it pains me to see the nonchalant attitude towards this day. Why not move all your other stories to B-1? Who would have been upset about that? I guarantee you the kids in the Edna band would not have been slighted by moving their story. And who makes the decision to put a band article on the front page of a newspaper? What happens when the U.S is attacked again, hopefully it won't be on a Thursday, because Friday's headlines belong to a high school band.

I'll try to be polite, but in my view the question here is posed in a way that makes Friday's front page a racial question when it shouldn't be.

In my original answer, I tried to explain why we wanted to give our 9/11 coverage better display on B1. When asking why the 9/11 coverage wasn't on A1, those raising the question focused entirely on only one relatively small element to the front page -- our teaser to the M3 cover story inside about the upcoming Diez y Seis celebration in our community. Every Friday, we put a promo for our M3 entertainment section in this same location. No one ever complains about that.

Why then is this particular promo the focus of what shouldn't be on the front page? Why aren't people suggesting the swine flu story, the Edna band feature or the United Way kickoff should be on another page instead?

I also shudder to think we've reached a point in this country where we point fingers and declare one person is not as patriotic as the next or fails to meet some imaginary standard.

I submit you can be a patriot by remembering 9/11 and by celebrating Diez y Seis. These are days recognizing the fight for freedom.

That's alright let them forget! The next national tragedy will be far worse than 9-11. And then watch these godless leaders declare a national day of prayer and ask the citizens to please pray for the USA. "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." Proverbs 14:35

BigJ, the tone in here is collectively "outraged American" not at all to be confused with any of the normal slings & arrows thrown at us. Nothing RACIST is being said, implied or written under the table.

Guess 911 will be forgotten much sooner than Pear Harbor. Of course didn't have a bunch of radicals in control back then that thought the US was the bad guy.

VA, you blew it. Not unexpected because of your ever left leanings but still disappointing.

And some how this will be racists. Of course, liar equals racist nowadays.

Chris - I am asking you to be honest here. Did you and your staff SERIOUSLY think that the majority of your readers would be "okay" with the disrespect shown the citizens of this great nation by your paper's irresponsible, boneheaded decision to place a local band first and foremost in the Victoria Advocate instead of 9/11? You and I have gone around this issue before, but this is the reason I maintain that IMPORTANT NEWS belongs on the FRONT PAGE of a NEWSpaper. Seems that most posting here feel the same way. This is worse than a slight, this is a lack of understanding of what constitutes real, important, and timely NEWS. According to your own survey that you encourage your readers to take, the winner was far and away coverage of 9/11 for the front page, unless the result mysteriously changed since I last glanced at it last night (which has, incidentally, happened with your online polls). Even if nobody had voted for 9/11 to be on the front page, I believe that it is your responsibility as editor to realize what is important news and treat it accordingly. After all, that is part of being in the newspaper business.

I am sorry; your answer may sound reasoned and logical to you, but to me (and I cannot speak for anyone else), it reflects a lack of thought and integrity.

BigJ, I think RUs remarks were in regard to your agreeing with zorro, who is the only one making racist statements. I see the tone in here as being offended that the tragic events of 9/11 are not deemed worthy for the Front Page. More "outraged American" than "racist". I also believe these words/comments would be the same, regardless of what story was placed front page, if it was something other than a remembrance/tribute to the lives lost on that fateful day.

Zorro, as far as I can tell, is the only one in here screaming anything resembling racist remarks. On both threads concerning this issue.

BigJ,

The first mention of race on this thread was by zorro

zorro

Most of the comments in this thread are not about the front page but instead serve as a straw man for latent racism.
September 11, 2009 at 4:53 p.m

I did not have sex with that woman!

BigJ, this is America, right? Americans died on Sept.11 correct? A whole bunch of them if I'm not mistaken. America was attacked on several different fronts & Americans died. This didn't happen in Victoria but it touched every American in some way. I believe it deserves front page coverage because this is America! This feeling of outrage has NOTHING to do with race, it is more like a slap in the face to Americans.

Zorro...exactly how? This is America not Mexico!

Most of the comments in this thread are not about the front page but instead serve as a straw man for latent racism.

"The Sept. 11 package on B1 was originally on A1, but we decided at our 6 p.m. page checks that we could display the photos bigger and better on B1. On A1, the package was competing with our regular Friday feature on high schools bands."

Oh yes Mr. Cobler, God forbid one of the most horrible and important events in the history of the US take precedence over the local high school bands.

You've milked the 'Fatal Funnel' for all it's worth but God forbid we have 9/11 on the front page.

cat- there is no code word! i noticed all your comments today imply your thought of going black? can u explain?? diversity training warrant. just stop the profiling. you are not the alpha animal on here. peace out

People who feed on a steady diet of hate speech rarely are able to see themselves for who they have become. The demons they find, or better said, the demons they invent, are exaggerated distortions of their mind. To make no attempt to beat this awful behavior back is the moral equivalent of endorsing it.

You missed this one VicAd. You had plenty of time to plan this one. No excuses. I keep hearing the word ashamed and today I have to agree.

We had almost a full page devoted to Sept. 11 on B1. We also published inside another full page devoted to honoring our soldiers.

The Sept. 11 package on B1 was originally on A1, but we decided at our 6 p.m. page checks that we could display the photos bigger and better on B1. On A1, the package was competing with our regular Friday feature on high schools bands.

We could have moved the Edna band back to B1 in favor of the Sept. 11 observance, but we thought that would be slighting those students when our other band features have appeared on the front page. Some of our readers also have said they don't like anniversary stories on the front page.

I hope that helps explain our thinking. Story placements, of course, are subjective. We encourage our readers to vote in our daily front-page poll and to participate in our 10 a.m. news meetings. There, you can chat directly with an editor about what will be in the next day's edition.

We appreciate hearing from you about what you want to see in your Advocate.

What do you expect from a liberal rag that is constantly bowing in the Kenyans Court? If it makes anybody else look good besides obama it aint gonna get no coverage. Think of all the volunteers and professionals that risk their lives to rescue and help the injured. Not a word which doesn't surprise me in the least. What a joke for a " newspaper".

I was truly shocked as well. Here I am as a social studies teacher trying to teach my students the importance of today and that we should always remember it, and how it has changed America forever. Then I grab the paper to show them and have to show them a front page with nothing on it about 9/11. Thanks for helping Victoria Advocate.

Wow, I am truly shocked. I had no idea the VicAd could stoop to such a low level. If anyone knows me at all, then they know that I stand behind our troops and anyone else risking their lives for our country. To not recognize this loss on this day is not right.

I am sure many people will be happy and perhaps some surprisingly not, but I am done writing on this website. Even done looking at it. Every paper delivered for "free" on wednesday will be stockpiled and delivered back to your parking lot unopened. I am ashamed that this is our newspaper.

God Bless America's troops. I cannot even put "our troops" because Vic Ad does not deserve it.

have a happy day instead of whining!

I too was disturbed by this....but not exactly surprised.

My God, Advocate, where is your patriotism? What a slap in the face to those of us who truly love our country.