Did you see the survey that was in the Anchorage Daily News a few weeks ago? It showed that Alaska was the most violent of the 50 states.
On just one day in January, the Alaska section of this paper contained the following items: there was an arrest in one of the January Anchorage homicides; troopers were investigating a death in Unalakleet; a Kotzebue resident died in a house fire; a man wanted on an attempted murder charge was arrested; and a Fairbanks man was charged in a fatal rollover accident. On Valentine’s Day, a Wasilla man was found guilty of murder; another man was sentenced to 65 years in jail for a fatal stabbing; a killer’s conviction was upheld; and a man pled guilty to setting another man on fire. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Above and beyond any personal encounters with the daily violence that has become far too routine in this state is the fact that as Alaskans we should be horrified that our state has earned such a dubious distinction. As Alaskans we should be mortified by the fact that we lead the nation in some of the worse statistics possible. Alaska has apparently risen to the top of all categories that start or end with the words abuse, assault and violence.
We have to work to not get jaded from the almost monotonous repetition of these horrible statistics. We should never grow complacent and just accept that this is a violent place for some but not for all. We need to care that some Alaskans are not safe in their own homes, even if those homes are far from where we live. We need to fix what’s broken or the future will be very bleak for everyone. – By Elise Patkotak
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image credit Bill Roth ADN
