PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — The column distributed by her office Friday has Governor Kristi Noem denouncing violence in other states and promoting South Dakota as a place to move.

She referred specifically to protests in Seattle and Kenosha and an attack in Washington, D.C., against U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky.

“It doesn’t have to be this way, especially not in the United States of America. To those tired of living in these cities, if you want a better home to raise your children, grow your business, and live your life in peace, I encourage you to come to South Dakota. Here, we respect freedom. We breathe fresh air. And we love our country,” Noem wrote in the final paragraph.

Noem also posted the message in a series of tweets Friday.

She has used the column in recent weeks to support the approach she has taken to the COVID-19 pandemic and offering South Dakota as a place to consider.

On August 7, she stated, “There is a risk associated with everything that we do in life; more South Dakotans have died from accidental injuries than from COVID-19 in the past 5 months. We mitigate risks by taking proper precautions when we get in our cars, when we operate farm equipment, and when we make choices about what we eat and how much we exercise. The same should be true about life as we get back to normal.”

South Dakota set a single-day record of COVID-19 cases earlier this week.

In remarks June 8, Noem said: “My approach to this virus was to provide South Dakotans with all the information I could and then trust them to exercise their freedom to make the best decision for themselves and their families. We took a unique path – we haven’t locked people up, forced businesses or churches to close, or ordered a statewide shelter in place.”

She continued: “The mainstream media attack those who push for freedom and for people to be able to make the best decisions for their families.  But politicians who take away people’s freedoms and enforce lockdowns are praised – and shielded from real scrutiny.”