BHV Donations
Dear Editor: Until a century ago, people regularly wore black armbands to indicate they were grieving the death of a loved one. The beauty of the mourning band is that it offers a concrete sign of underlying sorrow and sends a quiet message to treat the bereaved one with tenderness. In today’s society, the tradition is mostly observed by sports teams and law enforcement, but the truth is, countless citizens still bear hidden heartache with no outward sign of their anguish.
At Brave Heart Volunteers, we are keenly aware of the inner wounds of Sitkans who are enduring loneliness, grief, or facing the end of life. We encounter these matters daily among those who seek our assistance. Our care receivers wear their brave hearts on their sleeves and allow us to see their pain.
For 21 years, BHV has been a supportive outlet for Sitkans, providing them with reassurance that they are not alone and we are here to help. Our services are free, and we rely on the generosity of donors, fundraisers and grants to meet our expenses. But these
provisions are everchanging, and given the current economy, we are finding it especially difficult to raise the funds we need to meet our annual operating expenses.
Would you consider making a financial contribution to BHV today? You can donate online at braveheartvolunteers.org/donate-to-braveheart or mail a check to Brave Heart Volunteers, PO Box 6336, Sitka, AK 99835. We are sincerely grateful for your support as it
safeguards our mission to help our neighbors in need. In gratitude,
Angie DelMoral, Executive Director
Brave Heart Volunteers
DV Awareness Month
Dear Editor: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. A new Alaska Victimization Survey was conducted in 2020. Women across the state were interviewed and asked questions about their experience with violence. Over two out of three women interviewed experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
While it is clear these rates are very high, it might not be widely understood what constitutes intimate partner violence. Physical violence is one component. However, it also includes coercion, entrapment and psychological violence. Examples of coercion and entrapment include keeping someone from their friends and loved ones, and threatening to hurt oneself if their partner leaves them. Psychological aggression also known as verbal abuse can include put downs, threats and all sorts of abusive verbal manipulation.
The high rates of domestic violence in our state make it clear that everyone knows someone who has been a victim of domestic violence. However, they also make it clear that everyone knows someone who has been a perpetrator of domestic violence. Please help us shift the narrative and focus from asking about why someone is a victim of violence to why does someone perpetrate violence.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month was launched in 1987 to raise awareness and unite people and organizations working to eradicate this form of violence in our society. Since then, a lot of work has been done to create laws that do not tolerate domestic violence and to work to prevent violence before it ever happens. Despite our efforts, Alaskan women, in particular Alaska Native women, still experience domestic violence at a disproportionate rate in comparison to other states in the country.
Natalie Wojcik, Executive Director, Sitkans Against Family Violence
Article Responses
Dear Editor: On the pot pardon and Russians in Alaska.
First of all: Now that Mr. Biden has issued presidential pardons to most federal possession-of-marijuana criminals, he needs to give serious exploration and thought to doing the same thing for all federal whistleblower criminals, starting with Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning, Daniel Hale, and Reality Winner.
And if, as some suggest, Biden’s pardon may be an initial step toward decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level, wouldn’t it be nice if pardoning Assange, et. al., was a first step toward decriminalizing whistleblowing by federal government and/or federal government-contracted employees?
Second of all: Two Russians sailing a small boat from Siberia to Alaska to seek asylum from their nation’s “mobilization” and military draft should encourage Alaskans to give some very serious thought and consideration to the following facts:
1. That Cold War I – from the end of World War II to the disintegration of the USSR and European Communism in 1991 – was fought in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and thus nowhere near Alaska.
2. That the entire Arctic Region is heating up faster than anyplace else on the planet; which means that the Arctic Ocean and all its natural resources will be becoming increasingly accessible to exploration and for exploitation. And thus, competition.
3. That also means that the Arctic will become as open to merchant shipping and, particularly, combat naval vessels as is every other ocean on the planet. (Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-arctic-is-warming-four-times-faster-than-the-rest-of-
the-planet/)
4. That Cold War II – currently unfolding in Ukraine, Taiwan and elsewhere – has begun.
Thus: At some point in the not-too-distant future, Alaskans will be on one of the front lines of Cold War II. And they need to start thinking about what that means, and what, if anything, they should – or even if they can – do about that.
From Sen. Dan Sullivan’s statement that “our state has a vital role to play in securing America’s national security,” and from Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s “the need for a stronger security posture in America’s Arctic,” there’s one thing we can all be reasonably sure of: Next year’s National Defense Budget will contain a significant chunk of money to increase that posture and upgrade the capability of Alaska to play that vital role.
The question is: Is that a good thing for Alaska and Alaskans?
Jeffrey G. Moebus, Sitka,
Master Sergeant, U.S. Army (Retired)
