Sound Off: March 24, 2026

Sun Herald readers weigh in on local and national topics.

Iran oil

I find it hard to believe we are allowing Iran to export oil. Oil is the center of gravity for the entire operation. Cut off their oil, you cut off the head of the snake. We have enough ships and aircraft in the area to ensure that they do not sell one drop of oil. We could shut Iran oil production while in the ground. No boots on the ground.

Biking

Just watched about eight young boys zoom by on E-bikes on a beautiful afternoon in my quiet neighborhood. Had to chuckle. Back in the day, we rode bikes that we had to pedal. Didn’t go as fast, and it was far more work. The E-bikes sure look like fun but somehow, I don’t think the boys are better off.

Beware the axe

When the axe came into the forest, the trees said, “The handle is one of us.” It is an old warning, but it fits our moment with uncomfortable precision. Governments are not usually broken by outside enemies; they are weakened from within — by those who bend rules for convenience, trade standards for advantage, or decide that loyalty matters more than truth. Over time, the small accommodations accumulate. Norms soften. Lines blur. What once would have been rejected becomes tolerated, then expected. The damage rarely arrives as a single blow. It comes gradually, carried by insiders who believe they are acting reasonably, even necessarily. In the end, the system does not collapse because it was struck. It gives way because enough of its own structure was used against it.

Democratic majority

The majority of registered Democrats are left-of-center moderates that have been taken over by the extreme left wing of the party. The Democratic Party will never be relevant until the moderates retake the leadership from the AOC wing. Moderate Republicans and moderate Democrats can govern for the American people like it used to be. New leadership needs to come forward and oust the ones that surrendered to the extreme liberals.

Security cameras

Israel hacked into Iran’s tens of thousands of surveillance street cameras to track down their leader before killing him. It’s ironic how Iran’s attempt to track protesters resulted in their leader’s death. Hundreds of millions of unsecured cameras worldwide, in homes, shops, and on street corners, are vulnerable. 1984 and “Big Brother” is clearly upon us.

Obey them

The thing about putting the Ten Commandments in classroom is that students will know that most of us are not obeying them. We kill, steal, covert what others have every day.

Pension crisis

Mississippi’s public pension system carries an unfunded liability of over $25 billion and is barely more than half funded, putting taxpayers and retirees at serious risk. Lawmakers must stop relying on short-term fixes like the rainy day fund and commit to real, long-term solutions to close this gap before the cost grows even worse.

Send your Sound Offs to soundoff@sunherald.com.