Arizona and Alaska---how far is the view?

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2008/09/20/20080920dormverdict0920.html

The link above is to a story about a murder in Arizona, a murder of a
college student by her dormitory roommate. This in conjunction with
the high profile of women in the 2008 national elections in the United
States, leads to conclusions about the shifting status of women.
Inevitable and not nearly so clear as people would assume,
conclusions. Conclusions about inconclusiveness.