The Anchorage Daily News recently published an editorial concerning the high numbers of young and middle-aged residents who are leaving Alaska to build lives elsewhere (“When Alaska reflects on this moment, will it be with pride or regret?,” March 5). It opined that two reasons for 4,300 people leaving in the past year were the poor economy and the pandemic. I offer that there is more to Alaska’s problems in retaining a bright, forward-thinking, working-age population than that.
In the same edition of the paper, the front page banner headline told us that our state is no longer as safe a place for our LGBTQ friends, neighbors and family members as it was, thanks to a quiet, backroom action taken by members of the Dunleavy administration.
I am so tired of this handful of ultra-conservative Alaskans who are determined to inject either their religious or just general “better than thou” philosophical beliefs into our communities. For the life of me, I do not understand why it has to be so hard for them to just live their lives as they wish without devoting so much determination and energy to making life miserable for their neighbors who they don’t understand or just don’t like. I’m not saying we have to understand or like one another.
We all have preferences, and we all have unique backgrounds and experiences and reasons for being who we are. But none of us is better than others. We are all in this together, folks.
Please, the very least we can do, if we truly believe in being a community that invites people to stay or to come to build their lives here, is be kind people. Welcoming people. Let’s not shame and embarrass ourselves with more headlines like the one this morning. And, I might add, this may be just another reminder to pay attention to who we elect to every public office and exactly why we are casting our votes for them.
— Jeanne Ashcraft
Anchorage
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