Living in the boonies, I may have a different view of Gov. Noem's self-immolation. For anyone who has been on vacation under a rock - she's put out an autobiography (for a very loose definition of a work that's supposed to be non-fiction) with some questionable claims, but the one that seems the oddest is that she shot her 14 month old hunting dog for being too... well, frisky?
Now... death is a part of life out here. At some point, we've all got to go. And considering that guns are a basic tool of the trade for a farmer/rancher/cowboy, if an animal has become a danger to others (or to itself), a simple, merciful, quick shot to the head beats chasing them around with an axe or breaking their neck. But this dog wasn't a danger - it was just annoying her. She has tried to make it better, mentioning that the dog broke up a bird hunt and chased some chickens - yeah. That's why you find a place where the dog fits in - you move Champion back to Delaware where he's not dealing with the stranger stress, for example.
But this isn't really about the dog, is it? It's about a way of looking at life. Someone isn't living up to your expectations - do you get rid of them, try to hide them, or find them a way to be successful? Do you minimize your time and effort, or do you minimize their suffering? I'm advocating for kindness - vote your conscience.
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