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Domestic Violence Awareness Month   Printer Friendly

WHEREAS, domestic violence is a crime that affects communities all across Alaska; and

WHEREAS, domestic violence violates an individual’s dignity and right to be safe from violence in the home. It transforms the home from a place that is meant to be loving and safe into a place of danger, despair, and fear. It diminishes the quality of life of every resident and community of Alaska. Domestic violence is not a private family matter – it is a crime that affects us all; and

WHEREAS, domestic violence is a vicious cycle that includes the systematic use of physical, emotional, sexual, psychological, and economic control and/or abuse, directly affecting thousands of Alaskans each year; and

WHEREAS, domestic violence is not confined to any specific group of people; it affects those of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds, economic levels, education levels, family structures, religions, and ages. It is a pervasive problem in every community in Alaska, large and small; and

WHEREAS, the effects of domestic violence on children are devastating and can cause lifelong problems due to emotional and physical trauma. Children exposed to domestic violence at home are at a greater risk of being part of an abusive relationship as adults, continuing the cycle of abuse; and

WHEREAS, beyond the suffering of victims, families, and communities, domestic violence also has financial costs. These include lost income and long-term productivity, medical care, law enforcement, legal and court expenses, costs of jails and prisons, social and emergency services, crime compensation, and problems in the school and workplace; and

WHEREAS, as Alaskans, we must demonstrate with our words and actions that domestic abuse will not be tolerated. We must continue to build alliances among community associations, businesses, and governmental, educational, and faith-based organizations that will strengthen our families, teach alternatives to violence, and hold offenders accountable for their crimes; and

WHEREAS, as Alaskans, we join the rest of the nation in supporting victims of domestic violence and share the achievable goals of this month-long observance. Let us continue to mourn those victims who have died, celebrate those who have survived, and support and respect those who work tirelessly to end violence;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Sean Parnell, Governor of the State of Alaska, do hereby proclaim October 2009 as:

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

in Alaska, and call on all citizens to be active in the fight to end domestic violence in all of its forms, and to assume the responsibility to make the message clear, by word and deed, that domestic violence is unacceptable.

Date: September 30, 2009

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