The 2nd Amendment doesn’t allow flamethrowers. No Texan needs to own weapons of war

Greg Abbott ignores responsibility

Congress is making a tragic mistake by not reinstating the ban on assault weapons. Flamethrowers, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers are banned because they are weapons of war. And assault weapons like AK-47s are also weapons of war. The shells are not only meant to fragment, but can go through walls.

Gov. Greg Abbott has proclaimed Texas a Second Amendment state. But some people fail to realize that for every right, there is an inherent responsibility.

It’s too bad that Congress has failed to recognize its responsibility to protect human life.

- Edward Lindsay, Fort Worth

Jack Del Rio’s disservice

Mac Engel’s June 10 column “Ex-Cowboy Del Rio’s comments on Jan. 6 riots insulting” (1C) is an example of a person in authority — Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio — wielding a misguided message to people who report to him.

I think most of us well know that when a protest descends into rioting, setting fires and destroying property, it not only loses the message, but also causes great harm to the affected, whether that is businesses or our cherished U.S. Capitol. But in the case of Del Rio, his message — white guys do no harm — hurts his players.

And Engel is right: It is insulting. Too bad Del Rio and others can’t differentiate news from hype.

- Penny Baxter, North Richland Hills

Yes, Fox ran Jan. 6 hearings

Fox ran the Jan. 6 committee’s hearing on the Fox Business Channel and left regular programming on Fox News. In this regard, Saturday’s editorial cartoon by Clay Bennett showing a test pattern on Fox News is only technically correct. Did NBC run the hearings on all of its cable networks? This is the usual mainstream media attack on Fox viewers and serves no purpose but to throw chum to the ignorant.

- Burt Ballentine, Keller

Texas needs more solar regulation

There are too few local regulations on how homeowners install solar panels: restrictions on how close they are to other structures, fences or homes and guidelines on preventing harmful heat or glare.

Solar panels are regulated by the federal government, but homeowner associations in Texas have too little control. Cities govern fire risk and structural safety issues, but too many offer no guidelines, restrictions or regulations regarding reflected glare or heat. The result could be damage to properties and landscaping.

Colleyville, Tarrant County and Texas should protect neighboring homes from adverse effects of reflective heat or glare from solar panels.

- Vicki Pruden, Colleyville

Let’s settle on one ‘adult’ age

The author of a June 5 letter to the editor (4C) opines that limiting gun purchases to age 21 would allow a person to mature. But so would age 25 or 30.

We obviously have to decide on one age for a “mature” adult. If 21 is the age when we deem a person able to make a responsible decision about buying a gun, that same standard should apply to voting, signing a contract, buying alcohol or tobacco, serving on a jury and holding a public office.

This letter writer can advocate for 21 as a legal age to buy a firearm, fair enough. But you can’t pick and choose which adult activity is for which age. Oh, and don’t forget: Some people advocate lowering the age to vote to 16. You can’t have “adult” both ways.

- Mark Swanson, Mansfield