Alaska is one of many states in the U.S. proposing legislation that would make enforcement of a federal gun ban illegal. But the subsistence lifestyle of many Alaskans is unlike that of any Lower 48 state – so how do Alaskans feel about a potential restriction on firearms? And what is the gun culture like in a state that’s twice the size of Texas but the least densely populated? Thai Law Forum spoke with two Lower 48 transplants now living in Alaska about gun culture, subsistence lifestyle, and their opinion on firearm restrictions.
Noah and Jeannette Lloyd both moved to Alaska for employment, and the independent and outdoor lifestyle has kept them there.
“To me, life in Alaska still seems to embody that pioneering spirit,” said Lloyd. “Its remoteness and undeveloped quality makes it a naturally exclusive residence.” For Alaskans, he says, the gun has and always will be viewed as a tool.
If Senator Dianne Feinstein’s bill restricting assault weapons and high-capacity magazines passes, many in Alaska will be resolutely opposed.
“Semi-automatic and high capacity magazine features of these guns allow accurate, consecutive shots critical when hunting fowl, and dangerous game like bear,” said Lloyd. “Gun ownership is arguably necessary to life in Alaska.”
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