Count on Kristi Noem to cheapen the Ukrainian war for her most petty political posturing.
In his stirring speech to Congress yesterday calling America to do all it can to defend Ukraine and global human rights from Russian aggression, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned Mount Rushmore and said that Ukrainians want the same ideals of “democracy, independence, freedom” that the founders sculpted thereupon build here in America.
Governor Noem co-opted that noble declaration into more whining for fireworks:
On Monday, the Department of Interior denied the Governor’s request to shoot rockets around the monument this July 4, saying pyrotechnics in the dry forest still aren’t a good idea:
In a letter dated Monday from the U.S. Department of Interior, Mount Rushmore National Memorial Superintendent Michelle Wheatley said a fireworks event would not be “safe and responsible.”
…In the letter to the South Dakota Department of Tourism, Wheatley noted the March 2021 wildfire that closed the memorial for three days.
“Current drought conditions and the 2022 wildfire outlook indicate that fireworks would cause a high likelihood of a wildfire ignition,” she wrote.
Local Native American tribes objected to the celebration being held on land they hold as sacred.
“There is ample documented opposition for the Tribes to the 2020 event, and we understand from ongoing meetings with the Tribes that these concerns have not diminished.” the letter stated [“Feds Once Again Nix Noem’s Mount Rushmore Fireworks Event,” AP, 2022.03.15].
The Ukrainians don’t need fireworks over Mount Rushmore. Noem should try translating her obsession with rockets into more vocal support for sending real rockets to Ukraine to help President Zelenskyy shoot down the Russian rockets that pose real threats to their lives and liberties.
Mount Rushmore is South Dakota’s premier example of white nationalist ideology and Mrs. Noem is simply selling that to her donors so she will have more campaign booty in her war chest than Mr. Thune has. It’s important to note Kristi doesn’t write her tweets – they’re generated by her political campaign. Like Trump did she’s using her post to milk the prosperity gospel for every penny she can hustle.
A new low for Noem. Zelenskyy is the guy that refused to bend to Trump, just as he now is refusing to kowtow to Putin. Who did Noem invite to the Rushmore fireworks? Was it Zelenskyy? No, it was Putin lackey Trump. If Noem wanted to pay tribute to Zelenskyy she should could do much more than blast off some fireworks. She would order an investigation into the trust funds to determine whether they are hiding Russian oligarch’s wealth from sanctions. It’s that wealth that is paying for Putin’s aggression against freedom in Ukraine.
Snowjob noem should open South Dakota to Ukrainian refugees and settlement. She should petition Biden to blow wide open US immigration for Ukrainians. Instead Ukrainians find it easier to get to the US via Mexico. (What a f*&%ed up immigration system!) Opening US immigration to Ukrainians would be patriotic. That would exemplify freedom.
But alas, those concepts are beyond snowjob noem’s narrow self-interest.
The fruits of Noem’s loins are old enough to enlist so why haven’t they? Patriots? Hell no!
Fruit?
Noem is more about freeDUMB than freedom! Isn’t it about time to toss her on the Bachmann/Palin scrap heap?
Noem thinks freedom and democracy are a show, a pageant, held for her own benefit. Don rightly points her focus on show over substance as she cries for fireworks but refuses to actively help Zelenskyy by investigating South Dakota trusts for ties to Putin’s money.
Very well said, Don. Maybe we should send Kristi a 500-pack of Black Cats to light at Capitol Lake on the Fourth.
Last time I looked, Mt. Rushmore Memorial was a federal facility. Noem has no legal authority on our national monument. Maybe Biden should book it for the Fourth and send Vice President Kamala Harris to deliver the keynote address. As the first person of color and first woman to serve as Vice President of our United States, she would certainly be more emblematic of what our nation is and should stand for in front of the Shrine of Democracy. Open the guest list and give the front row seats to tribal leaders, the most recent immigrants to become citizens of our great nation and those who fled Ukraine to escape the terror perpetuated by Trump’s overlord Vlad Putin.
Save the nosebleed seats for our congressional delegation, out of courtesy, of course. Noem can sit in the parking lot. With her horse.
Only Kristi Noem could confuse fireworks with artillery.
Well Loren you beat me to it and said it perfectly. However, it would be fun to see her get the vp run, although if she did, I couldn’t admit I was born and raised in South Dakota.
Goodness, Ms. Noem-Dumb-Doom has no level of lowest she will go for that dollar or two. Running a parallel line of wanting fireworks on July 4 to blowing up women and children with bombs by the republican’s point guy Putin is cass of stupidity gone too far. Every time I think the inept inbred republicans have reach a low-low level, someone from their ranks dives forehead first to prove there is even a deeper level of cass stupidity.
Let’s see; fireworks from China, yep. To celebrate, two slave owners, one was prone to impregnate his younger slaves without care or support. The other slave owner gather thousands of acres of land as his enrichment and spoils. The other stone-cold face of Lincoln is a continuous reminder that he decided the good people of Minnesota needed entertainment after their Christmas Mass and Holiday cheer, so he ordered the hanging of 38 Dakota Sioux all at once as a speculator event for the masses. What a treat watching 38 people struggling for their lives before your very eyes at the end of a rope; sicken then, sicken now. Then there is Teddy, who stated in his first message to Congress, in December 1901, the General Allotment Act “a mighty pulverizing engine to break up the tribal mass.” Dang, he said it and put it into action, resulting in many millions of acres of land legally stolen.
Zelenkey speech was about how one country wanted to take the land and resources of another country. The occupiers are willing and able to murder every single person who is enjoying life on the lands sought. If Ms. Noem-Dumb-Doom read history books instead of how to be pretty books, she could see the same dang thing happened right dab where she came from, lives and now pretends to govern.
Fireworks are not bombs, although they both go boom. Zelenkey wants the booms in his country to stop. Ms. Noem-Dumb-Doom wants hers to sound off.
How low can inept inbred republicans go for their events, causes or entertainment? Don’t ask Zelenkey or a Native person putting up with settler immigrates.
I agree with RST.
Chinese fireworks. No way!
We celebrate our freedom by VOTINtG. Twice this year!
Instead of an OLD legislative system where we have ONE election every 2 years (our computers can only count ONE TIME in 2 years???) let’s change that to
ONE Election every 6 months!!!!!! If you are too lazy to vote for a 6 month term for Senate or House or Governor, then don’t complain. Voting in 2 candidate elections every year is no big deal. Term limits, maybe 1 or 2 years tops, then you are out of government for good.
Very poor taste for Noem to interject the use of fireworks with the war on Ukraine. Zelensky mentioned government care for everyone which Noem ignored but instead focused on freedom. He didn’t mean the freedom to start a fire just because you have a pyro lifestyle. How callous to equate freedom with such a petty display? What would Noem do with her purse pistol or hunting gun if the Russians were bombing her home? Would her adrenaline pump from the ideals of our founding fathers or would she think of Chinese fireworks and a little Pheasant Pate with Lo Mein when it’s over?
Our county already has a ban on burning. We had no fireworks last year and it was the best 4th we’ve had in this town. It was quiet, didn’t have to worry about some idiot setting one off in your yard in the middle of the night, and the police spent time on overzealous drunks rather than calls on fireworks 24/7 three weeks running. They still allowed the sales of fireworks here and that was stupid.
All Krist all the time.
Gee when the Lakota were forced at gunpoint onto the reservations they had to get permission from the Indian agent to leave the rez. Freedom??
Thank you to everyone with the good comments about this. Truly a new low for LoNoem.
Noem is just like drumpf and Snowdrift Snookie from Alaska, whiny bawl baby poopie Johns when they don’t get what they feel is theirs by divine right. Divine right being what they claim it is and the hell with other’s rights.
I believe freedumb was even worse than Spike explains since agents didn’t need permission to cheat and steal needed, promised necessities and give the tribes spoiled food rations. I doubt anyone had permission to sell poison rotgut on the rez, either.
Noem won’t deal with Natives because she can’t control them.
Since she doesn’t know the difference between HE rockets and bottle rockets, I would propose a taxpayer funded trip to Kiev, Ukraine.
I’m late to this topic and have not read every response, but it’s clear to me Kristi Lynn has doubled up on her stupid pills more than once lately.
I stand with Donald Pay, He has it right, and well said.