Ok, reality check time about "moving to Alaska" (Anchorage: live, statistics)

[Rance]

I am not attacking you. I'm just wondering why...with the negative posts you make...you even live here? I could care less if you happy or not. You obvioulsy see things in a different light than I do. And I think your playing a huge amount of drama into this. And I'm not trying to portray you as an unreliable source or being untrustworthy.

[Alaskan_Adventurer]

[quote=User 2;1969385]The fact that Alaska has the highest rape rate in the nation is not a function of where I choose to live and it has nothing to do with what you may perceive as my 'negativity'.

It's a fact. Pure and simple.

Funny that your attempt is to portray those facts a only a consequence of what you want to label as 'my unhappiness'.

I thought you were supposed to address the subject matter on this forum and not attack the person.

I see you not liking the message, so your tactic is to attempt to portray the the messenger as unreliable or untrustworthy, as having some 'personal' problem that explains why this person won't just conform to your view.[quote=User 2;1969385]




Woah, user2...who are you anyways? Rance has been living in Alaska for most of his life and is one of the most respected members on here, and he doesn't seem to be attacking you.

I have lived in Anchorage for 15+ years and in all honesty, it is a relatively safe city. I have never been a part of, or witnessed a major act of crime. I have no family or friends who have experienced any either. Do you even live here in Anchorage? Sure, it isn't complete Utopia, but show me a city of the same size that is. If you use simple common sense, then the city is very safe. If you seek trouble, it will come and find you. Just like any other city.

[Metlakatla]

well...

You might have escaped being a personal target, but it's not very honest to try to portray Alaska as being at all a safer place than any other crime ridden state.

The stats you mentioned were Anchorage stats. All of Alaska is not relative to Anchorage, sorry.

The high crime rates that are representative of some parts of Alaska have been discussed at length in several conversations on this forum.

I don't know if you live here or not, user2. But I live here. And I feel much safer here than in any other crime ridden state.

[mal_flisk]

I live in Anchorage, wife, 3 boys etc. The only crime we've had occur to us is a stolen pick up from the driveway. Recovered 3 days later (by the cops). Fixed a flat and the locking mechanism on the steering column, and all was good. No boys involved in fights (yet), no muggings, no rapes, no burglaries. We live a fairly quiet life in our home, and my oldest is the only one who drinks (to the best of my knowledge), and comes home after 2-3 beers.

It may be our neighborhood. It may be our lifestyle. Who knows? But I don't usually hear about crime in the office, and some of our ladies live in the old housing on Government Hill, and others live in Fairview. I live in the Jewel Lake area. I take my kids to the mall every weekend (They are teens after all). I walk around the city without a gun (OMG!), and I feel safe enough.

[Xa'at]

Originally Posted by Rance

I am not attacking you. I'm just wondering why...with the negative posts you make...you even live here? I could care less if you happy or not. You obvioulsy see things in a different light than I do. And I think your playing a huge amount of drama into this. And I'm not trying to portray you as an unreliable source or being untrustworthy.

Hear, hear.
I know tons of people who go to Anchorage all the time- never heard anything like this. Now, obviously it's a big city and there is more crime than there is in, say, Juneau, where the police blotter looks something like this:
3:22 PM
Bear reported in the vicinity of 5th and Franklin, Downtown.

5:47 PM
Bear reported in the vicinity of Auke Bay elementary.

7:01 PM
Police responded to woman locked out of car, Douglas.

7:10 PM
Police responded to same woman, locked out of car again.

7:38 PM
Police issued drunk and disorderly conduct violation to naked woman locked in her car, Douglas.

8:59 PM
Animal control and Police responded to a report of a bear in a yard near Glacier Cinemas. Was actually very hairy man.

Okay, so I may be exaggerating a little. But this one is absolutely real, I swear on a bible.
"City officials responded to a report of a chemical spill in Auke Bay harbor. It was pollen."

[User 2]

Originally Posted by Rance

I am not attacking you.

Oh? Don't know where I got quite another impression.

Originally Posted by Rance

How about I portray Alaska as I honestly see it...not as some paranoid says they see it

your (sic) surrounded by so much negativity

maybe you should move

I get the impression your not happy here

The rape statistics are only the start of a depiction of what Alaska's crime reality is. The statistics for the state as a whole are still double the national average on rape, Anchorage itself is not the only place rape is rampant in Alaska.

In addition, I think you'll find that Alaska leads the nation in child abuse.

Did I hear mention of 'blue skies' somewhere?

[Xa'at]

Originally Posted by User 2

The rape statistics are only the start of a depiction of what Alaska's crime reality is. The statistics for the state as a whole are still double the national average on rape, Anchorage itself is not the only place rape is rampant in Alaska.

Dear lord, I'm tiring of this subject. How many times have we had this discussion...?
http://www.city-data.com/forum/alask...orth-pole.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/alask...me-alaska.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/ancho...anchorage.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/ancho...anchorage.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/ancho...ime-stats.html
Ah, five times. I love it when I answer my own questions...
Here's what I've had to say in the past on the subject...

Originally Posted by Xa'at

I believe we had a conversation about a similar subject a while back as pertaining to Bethel. Someone (I forget who) brought up the fact that the number of rapes are higher in native communities, but they are almost always isolated within the family of the victim. Whether or not this is true, I don't know, but if it is it would certainly go a long way in explaining why small towns like that have such high crime rates. For example, Hoonah, a 69% native community in SE, has a sex offender ratio of 75-1. Unlike many of the other Southeastern communities Hoonah is not easily accessable by cruise ship and thus unable to garner as much income from the thriving tourist economy. Many of the natives in Hoonah live in poverty, suffering from alcoholism and what seems to be all around failure to thrive.
The sad truth is, high rape statistics may well be just another symptom of a disease that we caused.

[Metlakatla]

You sure use the word "statistics" a lot, user.

No one has disputed that the stats are what they are. So what's your point?

To truly understand statistics of any kind, you need to have at least a marginal understanding of the human beings behind the numbers.

According to your...logic...Alaska has a high rape rate and therefore the average female should fear even walking down the street.

But those of us who live here are quite aware that that is far from the truth.

I suggest that you read the linkies that Xa'at posted to discussions on the subject.

That is all.

[Rance]

Well I'm truly sorry you live here (you do right?) and have such a negative outlook User 2. Your not the first and won't be the last. And thats OK. But I get the feeling your holding back. Tell me...how do you really feel about living here in Alaska. Skip the stats...I want to know how "you" feel. Did you move here living some fantasy and feel you got burned? Were you mis-informed before coming here and now your pissed? Did somebody paint you a picture and the reality of it is no where close to what you expected? Something is driving this negative energy you seem to emit. There are two sides to every story. Your opinion is just as welcome here as anyones good or bad. In fact I think it is good to have a different point of view for any subject pertaining to AK. But it saddens me to run into people that live here and are just plain unhappy about it. I can't imagine living anywhere else. And what really blows me away is the people that live here and hate it...yet don't leave. Maybe you should come on down to Sterling town and let me buy you a beer. Sounds like you need some time away from the city.

[User 2]

Originally Posted by Rance

Well I'm truly sorry you live here (you do right?) and have such a negative outlook User 2. Your not the first and won't be the last. And thats OK. But I get the feeling your holding back. Tell me...how do you really feel about living here in Alaska. Skip the stats...I want to know how "you" feel. Did you move here living some fantasy and feel you got burned? Were you mis-informed before coming here and now your pissed? Did somebody paint you a picture and the reality of it is no where close to what you expected? Something is driving this negative energy you seem to emit. There are two sides to every story. Your opinion is just as welcome here as anyones good or bad. In fact I think it is good to have a different point of view for any subject pertaining to AK. But it saddens me to run into people that live here and are just plain unhappy about it. I can't imagine living anywhere else. And what really blows me away is the people that live here and hate it...yet don't leave. Maybe you should come on down to Sterling town and let me buy you a beer. Sounds like you need some time away from the city.

It's quite a bit simpler than all the armchair psychiatry you seem to be practicing. Besides all your attempts to portray me as having some problem doesn't have anything to do with the subject, it's off topic, as you say.

There was a post where someone (Cheburashka?),
related their experiences with crime, your response was to downplay and attempt to portray their experience as a somewhat incredible anomoly that could only happen in the worst part of town or something like that.

I responded to add that Alaska is much changed from many people's perceptions. Rather than saying that someone's experiences were only possible in the worst part of town or to someone who doesn't pay attention, or any other excuse mentioned for downplaying a very real possibility, I only provided a little factual information.

Doing so appears to upset some social order imposed here, and the result is that all kinds of questions about my personal condition are brought to bear.

I was under the impression after reading the terms of use that turning the discussion of substantive issues into a debate about someone's personal qualifications to discuss such an issue was not to be tolerated.

I suppose I misinterpreted that terms of use and your off topic queries about my mental state and my capacities is now fair game.

I must also suppose it's now perfectly fine for me to begin questioning your own personal qualities and merits?