Opinion articles provide independent perspectives on key community issues, separate from our newsroom reporting.

Sound Off

Sound Off for Dec. 21, 2021

The science

I love the way people say they are following the science. I guarantee only a handful of people can give the name of any scientist who said anything about COVID. Dr. Anthony Fauci doesn’t count. He’s a paid political hack whose wealth has probably skyrocketed since COVID.

Feeling safer

Look, I consider myself healthy and I probably have some natural immunity to COVID. However, I trust science and I’ve taken the vaccines and the booster. Now I feel safer going out and letting others in.

Here they are

This is for the people who are worried there are no fire ants. There is no shortage of them in my yard. I’m pretty sure they just moved north of I-10. They have not only built numerous mounds ... they have built condos.

A fix

You can fix stupid. Get vaccinated.

High prices

Your high grocery bill and other high prices are the result of big business raising prices because they can. Have you ever seen the ad at Halloween that all of the different kinds of candy that we buy are owned by only two companies? How about the fact that our cable and internet bills are much higher than in Europe? That’s because so many big companies have bought out other companies so that we no longer have price competition. We are run by monopolies, and they can and do raise prices whenever they want. This is the opposite of the Democratic party platform, so look at the other party if you want to assign blame.

Social Security

Just got my new Social Security benefit letter in the mail a few days ago. I got a $38 a month raise, but my Medicare medical insurance was raised by $33 a month. That leaves me with a $5 a month raise, $60 a year. That should hold me over for this new year. I guess I should not complain, because this is the first raise in years.

High marks

I am no food critic and have never tried any of those listed as Coast favorites, but Salute in Gulfport is No. 1 with me. They serve the best chicken parmesan on the Coast.

Admission standards

One can get into Harvard University now without SAT or ACT scores. To completely disregard the measurement begs the question of how the university will determine the applicant has the skills to succeed. Maybe they don’t care and just want more students with huge loans the government will forgive whether they graduate or not.

Your debts

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, good socialist that she is, stood on the House floor and demanded the government provide student debt cancellation for all. She specifically included her own $17,000 balance. She drives a Tesla, wears expensive clothing and attends A-list soirees. I paid my student debts through hard work. It was my obligation and no one else. I don’t want my tax dollars paying hers. Pay your own debts.

Send your Sound Offs to soundoff@sunherald.com

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