My name is Gracie Davis. I am an American citizen. I watch CNN because my mother does and because I’m somewhat smitten with Anderson Cooper, so I know all about this shutdown of the government, and the bickering, and the name-calling, and the I-won’t-negotiate, etc., etc. I would like to say, as an American, that this is shameful. I would furthermore like to say, as a dog: ARE YOU PEOPLE CRAZY? We — and by we I mean dogs and wolves, from whom dogs are descended, do not behave like this. We have ways to work things out.

I would like to focus on one of those ways. It’s called the act of submission. You don’t have to have any ideas about who is right or who is wrong, or who did what, or who didn’t do what you wanted them to do the way you wanted them to do it. You just have to have a sincere wish to avoid fighting. It’s very simple. You roll onto your back, open your hind legs and arch your throat so that your jugular is exposed. This says, I’m not a threat, I come in peace. I don’t want to fight.  I would like to suggest that everyone on Capitol Hill, Republicans and Democrats alike,  adopt this posture immediately. JUST DO IT! ( I believe that’s a Nike add — my mother took me into the Nike store once, so I saw that slogan. )

I adopt this posture very quickly. Some dogs do, and I am one of them. My mother says I do it at the drop of a hat, which I don’t understand because I’ve never seen a hat drop at these moments. But what I do see is another dog respecting my commitment to peace and equanimity, bowing to my peace-loving ways and my bravery in exposing my jugular, trusting that another of my kind will adhere to the ethics of our species and also proceed in peace.

What about this do you humans not understand? I know there is a big lawn outside the White House. So, could everyone just gather there and in unison, adopt the appropriate posture? Okay, you don’t have to all spread your legs, since that suggests something different in your species, but the arching of the throat to expose your jugular, your bloodflow, is essential. Peace comes with vulnerability and trust. So does strength. My God, you humans have so much to learn.