Sound Off: July 15, 2026

Sun Herald readers weigh in on local and national topics.

Mo’ money

President Trump’s recent financial disclosures revealed that he made $2.2 billion in the year since he returned to office. Funny how a politician making that kind of money in office isn’t a big deal to some folks any longer.

Unregulated

Not that I order food online for delivery, but I’ve noticed that Instacart, Uber Eats and others don’t require a certification for food handlers. My attention in this matter concerns a man in his mid 30s living out of his vehicle, working at Domino’s and delivering food for the above. Zero hygiene, the trunk is full, the interior is full, and your food is in there somewhere. That piece of tape on your bag of burgers isn’t protecting anyone.

What next?

Sen. Lindsey Graham is being replaced by his sister. God bless her, but she’s no more qualified than all these other clown appointees in this entire administration. Why not the senator’s shih tzu, maybe as a Senate Comfort Animal?

What a joke

We’ve got a United States Senate full of octogenarians. How ridiculous that a bunch of elderly folks that can barely stay awake are put in that kind of powerful position.

Good try

Sorry, but nobody is buying your silly photo of Sen. Mitch McConnell. Bury the guy already and get about the process of choosing a replacement.

Nolan Wells

Nolan Wells’s family, and the public, deserve answers about his death. That is entirely appropriate. What is not appropriate is automatically assuming that his death was racially motivated or invoking the state’s shameful civil rights history before the facts are known. Before outside attorneys, pathologists, and investigators become involved, let us give local and state officials an opportunity to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation. If they fail to provide credible answers, then by all means seek independent review. But politicizing the tragic loss of any human life before the evidence is established is both premature and wrong.

Taking advantage

Ben Crump has made enough questionable statements in a week to leave me questioning his motivations. I hope he’s not bleeding a grieving family for all the money that has been donated.

How do you know?

For the people saying Nolan Wells’ deaths was an accident, how do you know this? The autopsy has not been completed, and the investigation is ongoing. You are so ready to discount any wrongdoing that you are making up fake news.

Beware the fluffy cow

Luckily, it looks like the older tourist thrown by the bison is going to recover, but if people would stop insisting on getting too close to take pictures, they wouldn’t be attacked. These wild animals are behaving like wild animals, simply defending their increasingly encroached-upon territory from what they perceive as a threat. Get a clue, people.

Civics lesson

As an aging-out boomer, I remember civic lessons explaining the foundations of our country’s rule of law and 3-part check on power, which was created in opposition to the one-man rule of the British Monarchy. Civics instruction has diminished in our current educational system. I hope our younger generations will have the will to sort through the maze of misinformation in the digital world to understand accurately the originality of the democratic process that was created in 1776, starting with the words, “We The People.”

Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz should remain open to all maritime traffic, and I support U.S. efforts to ensure that. But apparently Iran charging a transit fee is outrageous, while Trump charging a 20% fee, reportedly generating $250 million a day is simply brilliant capitalism. The only remaining question is which Trump child gets appointed Secretary of Strait Revenue.

It’s always him

They’ve drained the Reflecting Pool, and would you look at that. The damage looks exactly like tire tracks. I can’t imagine that anyone would have ever driven over ... oh, wait. That’s right.

Send your Sound Offs to soundoff@sunherald.com.