April 01, 2018
Sunday AM

Living in the interior of Alaska - prior to Ketchikan - in the 1980s, I learned that it was required by state law to stop and help those who found themselves in a ditch along the ALCAN highway. Law enforcement and emergency couldn’t always arrive first or immediately given the vast highway paired with a low ratio of Alaska State Troopers and the distance required to travel. Provision of first response or aid expected to be administered by those who stopped was above normal skills thought required in those circumstances in other states and those married on the border specially trained for life-threatening incidents.

Alaska culture taught and required that we all take care of ourselves with dependence on not only the land, family, ourselves, but also our neighbors too. Noting the amount of drama and history that’s derived from the twisted and quite unrelated tightly-knitted situations we always think could only possibly happen in our beloved rural communities. Culture needing us to be of utility and temporarily disregard or freeze most social matters with focused urgency in times of an emergency.

Observing - my last time - in Ketchikan how Alaskan culture has changed with the infiltration of global technological trends and advancements allowing or necessitating changes due to thirst for convenience in our own daily lives, our country, planet, and that of business requirement. Providing vulnerability never imagined while public relations and advertising campaigns propagate or convey brand messages of ease, safety, and convenience that their products can provide or help us accomplish securely with exact preciseness. Global economists and corporations with their own agendas keenly profiting from these advanced technological trends. Pushing an emerging movement which is greater than a fad which has not surprisingly opened doors for being hacked not just through the phone, laptop, or some other mobile device but physically. Already demonstrating to some of us proof of ability to control in a manner not previously imagined or even known possible.

It would now seem essential for Alaskans and Washingtonians, to step forth, and change the cultural norms beyond perhaps typical progressive or national prevention practices or tactics. Along with those of certain political employed through elections to change what we can’t seem to change individually but evolves imperfectly at a snail’s pace. Continuing with the obvious perspective that technology has led our society to new areas: entailing new health or prevention promotion models and not just that of prior public service campaigns for best practices.

Advocating that within our new technological frontier that we move towards providing new kind of support to victims. Developing professional methods and models that can provide protection physically or legally in times of unknown technological crisis given advancement of Artificial Intelligence in recent history. Granting immediate accessibility with newly established practices that eliminate threats that are on-going, new, or historically recycled.

Recognizing one can be quickly cut-off from society when social media isn’t considered a safe practice in similar situations or unable to access or acquire a new mobile devise and plan or computer which isn’t unrelated in this specific matter. Pointing out the obvious that one can’t work and fully function as a member of society when they are compromised in this new fashion. Further providing means to bank or conduct other normal functions personally with evaluation of what constitutes as safe practices or standards when expecting information from a person hacked neurologically and biologically. Automatically initiating opportunities for businesses to provide new security measures and that of legislation to update existing laws to protect victim information while making it formally illegal for victims to drive a vehicle or work in a confidential setting while specifically compromised by technological crimes that are physically affecting them with no financial harm or consequences of any kind for the victim.

Warnings ignored but quietly propagated through underground online journalism or somewhat academically while completely spun or twisted through industry journals of what was even possible for leading trend. Denying protection products or an out to potentially affected consumers within our changed or evolved emerging tech society. Hence, the realization that the level of danger presented might have halted or prevented venture capitalism or even seed/angel funding or continued development preached by industry executives and experts of the giant tech “machine” that can’t be prevented for our safety and must continue for our society to develop effectively.
Stating that it should be required by those of related current or former means, knowledge, training, position, or relations to assist in times of unfamiliar technological crisis even if the crime doesn’t fit one’s model of logic or possibility, exact expertise, or jurisdiction given continued development and speed of technology. Now sadly feeling like it should be automatically provided the inclusion list of those required to assist in unknown technological crisis: immediate or reasonable contacts close to the victim both inside and outside of social and professional circles. Adding strangers of the professional nature to a surmounting list that should offer professional aide despite protocol dictated by someone else’s story, legislation, media, funding, necessitation of email, agency mission, or confounds of one’s professional regulatory, industry standards, opinion, dating or social status, or position.

Calling on policymakers to take a stand and pass new policies that protect victims moving forward in our new emerging technological frontier making those around victims legally responsible to assist in a different manner than former Alaskan culture but still professionally. Allowing a path of creation for new professional ethics and abilities in aiding those in need of urgent assistance in times of unknown technological crisis and strict penalty for failure to respond to a known emerging technological crisis despite it not fitting their exact expertise or logic like that of the prior.

Liberty-Anne Johnson
Lafayette, Indiana

About: Liberty-Anne is a former resident of Ketchikan, Alaska and considers it her hometown since childhood with graduation from KCA. She is a Purdue University student for their graduate program in communications. She also holds a BS in Business Information Management and an AAA in Video Production. Former member of the prestigious Project Management Institute and expired CAPM holder. Previous volunteer history in Ketchikan with KRBD, Girl Scouts, and the Lion’s Club. Work history includes being the final clothing store manager for the Great Alaska Clothing Company and retail at Plaza Drug Store and KRBD gift store. From 2014-2015, the third historically documented tobacco prevention coordinator in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough through the KWC. KRBD 1997 Volunteer of the Year & 1995 Rookie of the Year. On a personal level: “Jack’s” daughter.

Editor's Note:

The text of this letter was NOT edited by the SitNews Editor.

Received March 30, 2018 - Published April 01, 2018

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