Gov. Kristi Noem Discusses How Her Faith Shaped Her Pro-Life Values and Her New Book ‘Not My First Rodeo’ – Opinion

South Dakota Republican governor. Kristi Noem is a nationally recognized Republican leader who has been able to stand firm in her conservative beliefs. Noem’s upbringing on a ranch fueled her ambitions to serve her local community, and she now tells that story in her new book, “Not My First Rodeo: Lessons From The Heartland.” Noem and I discussed where her conservative values originated, lessons in leadership, and current affairs.

Noem said that her book differs from other political memoirs in that it is focused on her Midwest childhood. In addition, she noted how the pandemic was a turning point for her state’s growth and tourism, as well as what she hopes the future holds for her and the country. The transcript also contains an audio recording of the interview.

Cameron Arcand:Please tell me a little about your book. What makes it unique from other political memoirs.

Gov. Kristi NoemYes, it does. It’s a memoir about my entire life. It’s not really a book about politics, although there’s plenty of political stories in there. My name was first mentioned to people because of the COVID outbreak in the country. This book tells my story, how I grew up in the Midwest, where I made my decisions, and my childhood. It should be enjoyed by everyone. It’s a lot of stories of my family, how I learned different value systems and then how I ended up in an elected office and how I make my decisions today for the people of South Dakota.

CA: What’s interesting about you as governor is you’re very much someone who stands by your convictions, but you take a gentler yet very convicting approach. As a young American like myself, I find that dynamic very interesting, because you’ve managed to get a lot of people to move to your state as well because of your leadership in recent years. So what’s a lesson from the book that young Americans like myself should take note of?

KN: I would say one of the things that my dad did that was the most beneficial for me growing up was giving me impossible things to do — hard, hard jobs that taught me how to become a problem solver. They were completed by me. [it]This helped me gain confidence. That’s why I set out to conquer the biggest challenge. The book contains many similar stories.

But what I would say is most young people in today’s day and age think going through something hard is bad for them. Contrary to popular belief, challenges are good. They give us the opportunity to overperform do something historic, do something that’s memorable. So it’s all about how you see your life and what comes your way and how you view it. Perspective is everything in today’s world. The COVID pandemic showed that people lose perspective. So I advised everyone to turn off their TVs, walk outside, and enjoy time with their families. Your perspective on what’s coming your way makes a big difference based on how you’re prepared for that challenge and what you’re able to do with it to make yourself a better person.

CA:Growing up in Southern California, I saw a complete disconnect between Heartland America and Southern California. What’s your message to people that live on the coasts, whether they’re liberal, conservative, or people who just don’t know what it’s like to live in Heartland America. What’s your message to those people? How do they want to learn about South Dakota?

KN:You should tell them to come see me. You will love it. And I think that’s really what happened during the pandemic was in 2020 when the rest of the country was shut down and South Dakota was the only state that was still completely open, people did come visit. Then they came to spend their vacations here, then returned home with their families to pack up and move back because it is their favorite place. It was so enjoyable. It’s so refreshing.

All that’s good in America is still can be found in the middle of the country. In fact, what’s interesting, Cameron, is that for many, many years, when people would go online and search or Google where they wanted to vacation, where they wanted to live, it was always tropical destinations. There were always warmer climates. It was the first time that this has happened in human history. It is now rural America and small-town America. So I think you’re exactly right. There are so many curious people [about] what’s happening in the middle of the country. What’s happening in states like South Dakota and to really experience it, you just need to come and see us and meet our people, and you’ll find that it’s an incredibly important and special place.

CA: One thing that makes South Dakota unique, especially right now is the role that the pro-life movement plays in the state….We can talk politics all day about all of that, but for you personally, you’ve been a very vocal advocate in the pro-life movement and we just had Roe v. Wade overturned. What shaped your personal pro-life beliefs?

KN: I would say my faith is very…it’s where the basis of all of my decisions come from. The value of every person and the belief that each life is valuable was something I learnt in church and from my parents. It also came out of how I lived and how I grew up. When I stand for election, I will tell you that I am who and what I believe. I hope you’ll support me. I’ll be honest and truthful with you and hopefully, I’ll do a great job and you’ll choose to support me again. That’s really in this issue too. I’ve been very open about the fact that I wanted to be the most pro-life governor in the country, this decision coming out of the Supreme Court, righted a wrong that happened many, many years ago.

Now it’s returned the power to make these decisions back to the state level, which is where it should be closer to the people where elected officials can hear from the public and then make the decision on what it looks like in their states. South Dakota also had a trigger statute in its statute. This law stated that the state could take action as soon as possible. RoeThe decision was reversed and there would no longer be any abortions allowed in South Dakota, unless they were necessary to save a mother’s life. So that is the story today, and we are going to continue to support mothers and women who have unplanned pregnancies or feel that they’re in a crisis situation to make sure that they do have resources and that we can connect them with adoptive families if they choose to do that path for their family, or if they want help with parenting or financial skill training that we do that as well, so that they can build their family on a better footing than what they do if they’re not supported.

CA:Is there something you look forward to in the future? Do you have a goal or vision for South Dakotans and Americans alike? How do you feel hopeful about the future?

KN:My granddaughter is all that I need to feel optimistic about the future. I’ve got a granddaughter that just turned one year old, and my goal every day is to get up and make sure that I’m giving her a country just as great as the one I was blessed to grow up in. To see the promise of the future, you only have to spend time with our youth. Also, I believe that fighting for our freedoms after these years is crucial.

It is my top goal. I need to protect my people from an intrusive federal government every day, but also I feel like it’s important that all of us show up and that we weigh in to make sure that we’re protecting the United States of America and the foundation that our leaders gave us so many years ago. It is encouraging to see that people finally pay attention. I’ve been talking about some of these issues for 10, 15 years, and now we finally have people engaged who realized that they have to start showing up at school board meetings. You have to get them involved at all levels of government, including the state and city governments. And I think that’s fantastic. I think the more involved people are the better off and the better served they’ll be by their government.

CA:Do you think that it is possible to return to the national stage? Do you focus on South Dakota right now or the national stage?

KM: I’m not focused on returning to any kind of a job, except for hoping that the people of South Dakota will support me to get re-elected as governor. I’m on the ballot this year. It is my hope they understand how grateful I am to me for continuing to serve them. I also hope they trust me again to continue doing so.

CA: Anything else you’d like our readers to know about your book or your governorship?

KN: I just hope they enjoy it, and that it is something that makes them think about their role in this country in a different way to step up and to say “Yes.” Every day is a new opportunity to get involved and to say yes to things in front of you that need to be addressed.

Note that the interview has been edited to ensure clarity, grammar, and length. 

 

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