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August 11, 2006
Rank and File
by Nova Stubbs, insurgent49

My Beautiful, Troubled City

    For the past month, I have been working in the tourist industry as a bartender on the train and, to be honest, it’s not all that bad. When a moose is spotted through the windows, the out-of-staters jump for joy and smile like little kids who have just made a great discovery. They look to the mountains, rivers and trees with awe, which helps remind me that I live in an amazingly beautiful place.

     Yet, the overall tourist experience is ultimately blind to the social realities of our state. When I tell them that I live in Anchorage, they almost always ask me, “do you I love it?” ... and they expect a resounding “yes.” And why wouldn’t they? Through their eyes, Anchorage is a utopian city surrounded by the beauty of wilderness.

     My answers vary, and honestly I am still not quite sure how I really feel about living in Anchortown. Sometimes I speak proudly about our diverse city and sometimes I talk about the extreme differences in daylight hours and the harsh lengths of winter.

     But on rare occasions, for those who really seem interested in my perception, I let them know about the social ills that plague our community: the inequalities, the high rape statistics, the heightened gang activity etc. I don’t do it to bring them down, and generally they seem grateful for an insider’s insight, but I feel the need to let them know that Alaska and Anchorage is not a perfect place.

     One woman form Wisconsin caught me off guard when she asked, “why do you think there are so many cases of rape here in comparison with the rest of the states?” All I could say was “I don’t know.” Because, after all, where does the central problem lie, and why is it so rampant? It is one of those issues that no matter how much I research or how much I have thought about there is no real conclusion or explanation.

     Sure ... approximately 75% of rape cases involve alcohol, so does that mean are real problem is alcohol? According to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Alaska has the highest alcohol consumption rate in the nation and 14% of the adult population are either alcohol dependent or abusers. Thus the question ... what leads people to drink so much?

     The answer is genetics and environment. We could blame the extreme darkness and daylight hours, but Sweden, which experiences the same extreme climate, doesn’t have high alcohol abuse and dependencies in comparison with other European nations, although they are slightly higher in rape. Yeah, they have 18.2 forcible rapes per every 100,000 people, but Anchorage has 263 per every 100,000. Make any sense yet?

     Alaska is better than average in terms of economic stratification. Although there is a proven link between substance abuse and poverty, our poverty level is relatively low. The point is that all social ills are interlinked, but there isn’t any concrete rationalization for any one of the problems.  

     Another tourist from California questioned me about the gangs, as she noticed graffiti stained walls as the train chugged into south Anchorage. I told her that lately gangs have become problematic, she asked me “why, do you think so?” and I told her “I don’t know.” The complexities of our social ills run deep. Some problems are getting slightly better, while others are getting worse.

     Anchorage is a city that I want so badly to love, but at times it is hard. I live in a place where the problems are as vast as the Cook Inlet. And sometimes I feel like I am drowning in the overwhelming issues that plague our city. But, within the progressive and social work community, I find an ounce of hope because maybe, one day if we unite and combine our efforts, the overall tourist perception will become a reality:

     A perfect city surrounded by wilderness.



     





      Nova Stubbs is a freelance writer and activist, and is co-founder of Insurgent49. Nova resides in an undisclosed location in downtown Anchorage and may be contacted at nova@insurgent49.com.
- Columnists -

Editor's Desk
by Aaron Selbig

Rank and File
by Nova Stubbs

Red Alert
by Soren Wuerth

Alaskan In Exile
by Neil Zawicki

The
Bramble Bush
by Kevin Morford






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in-sur-gent (in sur'jent), n. 1. a member of a group which revolts against the policies of its leadership.