Sound Off: February 8, 2026

Sun Herald readers weigh in on local and national topics.

Only the best

How is the public supposed to have confidence in Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller and Border Patrol when their best judgment is to issue completely unsubstantiated statements a couple of hours after a shooting and then claim they hadn’t seen the videos, and they were fed inaccurate information by their agents? The only logical conclusion is that all involved are totally incompetent. Shocking, considering their only requirement for the job was “Trump worshiper.”

Our ‘leaders’

Donald Trump’s handpicked DOJ and FBI cannot be trusted with their handling of the Epstein files (or anything else.) They are in office not for truth and justice, but to protect him at all cost, just like every person in his administration and he gets rid of anyone who won’t kowtow to his demands.

ICE shooting

Federal agents shot (10 times) and killed a man in Minneapolis, claiming he threatened them with a gun. Video evidence appears to contradict that account, showing his legally permitted firearm concealed at the time. Minnesota authorities say DHS blocked an independent state investigation, allowing federal agents to investigate themselves. This accountability gap has fueled public outrage: when federal law enforcement controls the narrative, evidence, and investigation after lethal force, trust and transparency collapse. These gestapo-like tactics have no place in a free society.

Pretti’s death

Alex Pretti was not arrested for vandalizing an ICE vehicle, like he should have been, but ten days later he was killed for trying to help a woman being abused by ICE. Perhaps the motive for murder was a grudge?

Big difference

Kyle Rittenhouse “brandished” a gun at a protest and lived to tell. Alex Pretti did not brandish a gun at a protest and died. It shouldn’t be that hard to comprehend.

Ballot initiative

Mississippi’s ballot initiative was set aside due to an outdated reference to congressional districts, not because voters rejected it. House Concurrent Resolution 6 (HC 6) offers a careful and responsible correction by updating that language while preserving the long-standing 12% standard approved by the people. This approach respects both constitutional integrity and citizen participation. Mississippians who value self-government should contact their legislators and encourage support for HC 6.

Immigration

If you are here illegally, you should not be here. Whether you have committed additional crimes or not. Why is that so difficult to understand?

Closing the border

If President Biden hadn’t opened our Southern border as wide as he could, we wouldn’t be having this immigration problem, would we?

Has to be done

It’s unfortunate, but the people responsible for the work ICE is doing are the people who entered our country illegally.

Winter Olympics

Let’s hope we don’t have any men competing against women this year.

Law-abiding

President Trump has all along declared the sieve that was our southern border a gateway for rapists, criminals, and a bunch of people from South American jails. He never mentions those who are just trying to make a better life. Biden and Harris were fools to downplay this issue during their four years. This current massive expenditure of our money was reputed to go after hardened criminals. Everyone is fine with that. Going to schools, churches, workplaces, stopping people on the street requesting IDs, and clearly focusing on people of color, for minor immigration infractions, is not what he said he was going to do. For all of you who complain about law-breaking, do you always drive the speed limit?

Don Lemon

To claim Don Lemon is a terrorist because he “accosted” people with a microphone, asking questions, is about as brainwashed or ignorant of real terror as you can get.

Send your Sound Offs to soundoff@sunherald.com.