My Point of View: Noem’s story about capturing canine was an attraction to Trump – Albert Lea Tribune

My Point of View by Jennifer Vogt-Erickson

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is true. There’s “No Going Back.”

Jennifer Vogt-Erickson

In her new, very appropriately titled e-book, Noem described capturing a 14-month-old searching canine that she was having issue coaching. When her daughter Kennedy (who would have been about 7 on the time) stepped off the varsity bus that day, she appeared round and requested, “Where’s Cricket?”
The web recoiled in horror.

I grew up on a farm the place many pets met premature deaths (not for misbehavior). I do know the place Noem is coming from — it’s a place the place animals’ utility is valued over affection — however her story hits otherwise now than it might have just a few a long time in the past.

She was aiming at an viewers of 1, after all. Unfortunately for her, that audience-of-one can learn the room, and the room collectively dug Noem’s political grave the way in which she dug Cricket’s grave.

I’ve by no means seen something prefer it.

I shouldn’t have been stunned, given the way in which that proper wing Twitter troll “Catturd” was handled final month when he unintentionally ran over one in every of his dogs along with his truck. He was beside himself with grief, and he acquired an outpouring of sympathy and help, together with from individuals who disagree with him vehemently on politics. (Yes, there have been web trolls who mocked him for it, and they’re actually damaged folks.)

Almost nothing else brings folks collectively like affection for dogs and cats. People got here collectively earlier this month to arrange, donate to and store at a storage sale that raised greater than $6500 for the native Humane Society.

So, why did Noem suppose that sharing this “politically incorrect” story about killing an adolescent canine was a sensible transfer?

First, it needs to be apparent by now that “politically incorrect” is one other option to say insensitive, cruel or unempathetic. For instance, it was additionally “politically incorrect” for some folks to make enjoyable of Catturd when he unintentionally crushed his canine Smiles. They don’t deserve something however criticism for kicking somebody in agony. Neither does Noem deserve any credit score for her actions. She may have spent some vitality discovering a brand new home for the big puppy whose conduct was per its breed profile as a substitute of taking it to a gravel pit.

Why sign that she will be cruel and insensitive? Because Noem is aware of that’s precisely what Donald Trump is on the lookout for in his vice presidential choose.

Mike Pence made Trump very offended when he selected to serve the constitutional order relatively than taking part in Trump’s coup technique on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump tweeted, “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done.”

Pence did have the braveness to do what he was constitutionally obligated to do, which was certify Joe Biden’s win at a joint session of Congress, regardless that a crowd of Trump supporters was menacingly chanting “Hang Mike Pence” and had erected a gallows on the Capitol grounds.

Kristi Noem’s story is her means of telling Trump that she would do his soiled work with out flinching. Unlike Pence, she would serve Trump as a substitute of the Constitution.

Why sign her potential to be cruel with a narrative a few canine particularly? Because Trump has a particularly low opinion of dogs.
Trump was the primary president in over 100 years to not have a pet canine on the White House. Comparing folks to dogs is one in every of Trump’s favourite methods to dehumanize them.

For instance, in Trump’s phrases, Mitt Romney “choked like a dog,” General Stanley McChrystal was fired “like a dog,” Ted Cruz “lies like a dog,” Brent Bozell was “begging for money like a dog,” Steve Bannon was “dumped like a dog,” Paul Ryan was “out there dying like a dog,” and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi “died like a dog.”

Trump generally calls ladies dogs. Of Omarosa Manigault he mentioned, “Good work by (White House Chief of Staff John) Kelly for quickly firing that dog!”

Trump mentioned he attacked Arianna Huffington’s look shortly after he introduced his candidacy in 2015 “because she is a dog who wrongfully comments on me.”

Get the image? Trump makes use of comparisons to dogs as an insult as a result of he hates dogs.

Dehumanization like that could be a fascist type of politics. Even if folks don’t wish to acknowledge the fascist factor, they might acknowledge that having a horrible opinion of man’s greatest good friend is an indication of broken character.

Noem, like many individuals who appealed to Trump’s indecency, has abruptly discovered herself in a gravel pit of public opinion.

There’s “no going back.” It’s too late for Noem to provide Cricket a unique end result or simply preserve Cricket’s execution to herself, however perhaps this incident will assist voters clearly see that Trump is a horrible person, a horrible alternative for president, and we are able to solely transfer ahead to a greater, kinder future with out him.

Jennifer Vogt-Erickson is a member of the Freeborn County DFL Party.