Dear Readers of WestView News,
I received three letters from our treasured readers regarding the poem “Code Blue.” I apologize to our community for offending and frightening some of you by publishing this poem. I am sorry to say that the poem slipped through the cracks three times, and was placed in the paper because it was the right length to fill empty space on the page. It wasn’t read carefully when we first received it, and it somehow missed the editing process that would have ensured a careful reading. The paper is produced by volunteers and the Art Director was under tremendous stress in her personal life—and the pressures of getting the paper to the printer—and didn’t read the poem before placing it. I can see how this poem seemed disturbing and out of sync with the sentiment of our times. Indeed, even a betrayal of your trust, because you don’t expect to find this type of material in the paper. I offer sincere apologies and regrets. Thank you to those who wrote to me.
George Capsis, Publisher
