In a time when we are desperate to find stories that unify us, Gov. Kristi Noem has supplied us with an opportunity to set aside partisanship, at least for a few days. She bragged about killing a dog she “hated”, and America is incensed! It doesn’t matter if you are a cat, dog, or parrot person, or if you have never had a pet – it is one of the most American things about us. We love pets. We watch cute animal videos like there is no tomorrow – we see a cute dog out for a walk, and we can’t resist petting it. We bond over our pets, no matter who we vote for or what our stance on anything else is. We love animals.
There’s more to animal cruelty than meets the eye. It is a gateway to abusing people. The National Domestic Violence Hotline and the Urban Resource Institute surveyed almost 2,500 people and found that:
- 97% said keeping their pets with them was an important factor in seeking shelter
- 50% wouldn’t leave if they couldn’t take their pets
- 48% were worried their abuser would harm or kill the pets
- 30% said their children were aware of the animal abuse
- 76% noticed a change in their pet’s behavior because of the abuse
I understand having to put a pet to sleep if it, for example, has attacked someone, or it is too sick to continue living due to pain or sickness that can’t be controlled. With this story, however, the first question that came to me was, “Why didn’t she try to rehome the animal?” And by the way, her book also says that she killed an unruly goat for being, well, unruly (isn’t that the definition of goat behavior?) When put into a corner, her response has been that the “left-wing media” has caused this backlash. And while it is true that the media messes up a lot, no matter what their slant, this problem is solely hers. We will never know the entire story, and I think we would have understood if she had explained – in the book – that the dog was a bigger menace than the story told us. She didn’t. She went back to the excuse that too many people use when they are caught in a problematic situation. She scapegoated someone else.
Today’s truth is that being an adult means taking responsibility for our mistakes and shortfalls. It means admitting that what you did was wrong and that you learned from it. It means repenting and doing what you can to make up for it. Children divert their attention to someone else. Children try to get out of fessing up. This is one reason why we don’t let children hold political office. This is why they aren’t in charge. Gov. Noem has a lot of growing up to do. I hope, for the sake of the people of South Dakota, she does it quickly.
Prayer – Holy God, thank You for the many ways our pets bring us joy. Heal those who mistreat them. Forgive those who repent. Amen.
Today’s art is the very famous painting by Edward Hicks, “The Peaceable Kingdom”.