Sound Off: May 16, 2025

Qatar plane

A 2017 clip of President Trump accusing Qatar of financing terrorism “at a very high level” has surfaced. Now he will accept a plane from them.

No shame

The Pentagon ordered military libraries to remove all books with diversity, anti-racism and gender issues. So, it’s OK for non-Whites and females to join the military, you just need to control what they read? Are you really that insecure?

Receipts, please

Of course, the DOGE website will show savings and fraud. He owns this outlet and he can post anything he wants. Why hasn’t anyone been arrested for committing all this fraud? Because there is none.

That website

Oh, look. The DOGE website just removed more than $100 million in alleged fraud after being called out by the New York Times.

MAGA

The seismic shift in trade and the defense of the Middle East has rocked the talking points of the Democrats. There’s no doubt that President Trump is in control of Making America Great Again.

Religion and wars

Humans are great at finding reasons to fight — borders, resources, and yes, religion. But while religion has started wars, it’s also handed out some of our best “Do Not Kill” signs. Think golden rules, guilty consciences, and the fear of eternal damnation. Without it, we might be relying on TED Talks and stern philosophers to keep the peace — and let’s be honest, that probably wouldn’t stop us from throwing hands over the last slice of pizza. Religion may spark fires, but it’s also been the extinguisher more often than we admit.

Federal budget

I am writing to express my deep concern over the unsustainable trajectory of federal spending and the current budget discussions in Congress. The American taxpayers expect our elected representatives to stand firmly in support of a realistic, near-balanced federal budget and to vigorously eliminate wasteful and frivolous spending that does not directly benefit the American people. Our country’s level of debt is not only economically reckless — it is morally irresponsible. It mortgages our children’s future to fund bloated government programs, special-interest subsidies, and politically motivated handouts. We cannot tax our way out of this crisis, nor should we. Real, structural spending reforms must take priority.

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