Sometimes stories on the front page of the newspaper don’t reflect the truly significant developments in a community. I wonder, for example, how many Chilkat Valley News readers are aware of the sudden disappearance of multiple personality syndrome in Haines, as reflected in last week’s Police Blotter. Careful readers of this digest of local misbehavior are certainly aware of the problem. A typical example from prior editions: “A Deishu Drive caller reported that a large bear had devoured their Chihuahua on Thursday night.” My heart weeps for this victim, not just for the loss of his or her beloved little Chi-Chi. As evidenced by the use of the plural pronoun “their,” it’s clear that this unfortunate soul appears to consider him/herself as at least two or three separate, sentient beings, of varied gender. Sadly, such mental distress has been common, as evidenced by the Police Blotter features in recent years. So, imagine my joy in reading this account recently: “A Soap Suds Alley resident reported her car had been rifled and items were moved, though nothing was missing.” Not only is her car okay, it’s clear that this person is fully aware of her singular gender identity. Such was also the case with every other account last week. To what can we credit this wave of widespread positive mental health across the community? Better nutrition? Obamacare? Has the borough achieved nirvana? Or has the CVN perhaps found a fearless, fully literate feature writer? One can only wonder. And be thankful!
Mario Juarez
Seattle, Wash.
Editor’s Response: The CVN uses gender-neutral pronouns such as “they” and“them” in the Police Blotter to help protect the identities of residents who contact police, and when police reports don’t indicate the gender of a caller.