Letters to the Editor | June 20, 2024

I believe the U.S. Supreme Court striking down the ban on bump stocks is sorely misguided. In the majority opinion written by Justice Clarence Thomas, the court found the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was wrong to prohibit the devices because “they don’t alter the basic mechanics of firing.” Their reasoning is insulting to the intelligence of the American people. Bump stocks are devices that “bump” against the shooter’s stationary shoulder, allowing the gun to fire as a machine gun, a weapon that is forbidden for civilian use. If this isn’t “altering the basic mechanics of firing,” I don’t know what is.

The gunman at the 2017 concert in Las Vegas where 58 people died used such a device to fire over 1,000 rounds in under 11 minutes. I support the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms. However, an automatic weapon’s sole purpose is to kill as many people as possible in as little time as possible and should only be in the hands of our military and law enforcement personnel. We need to enact laws to remove automatic weapons from our streets, not allow devices that essentially create more.

Stephen Dalton, Collegeville, smd11150@gmail.com

The recent column by Jennifer Stefano (“Our art institutions are failing. To save them, let conservative artists thrive.”) was a reminder of the time in the early ‘80s when the Trumps met Andy Warhol and commissioned him to provide a portrait of Trump Tower, which was under construction at the time. Warhol presented the paintings of the tower to Donald Trump, who was very upset that the colors Warhol used weren’t coordinated, and did not pay for the commission. The pencil sketch of the tower by Warhol later sold for $32,500 in 2017, and the painting of the tower is now exhibited at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.

Greg Nowell, Narberth

Our planet’s climate crisis is real and worsening by the day. The need to develop renewable energy sources has never been more evident. Throughout my tenure on Norristown Municipal Council, I have been part of a public-private coalition that’s been advocating for a hydropower project in Norristown along the Schuylkill, harnessing the natural power of our river to generate electricity.

In an era of increasing strain on our electrical grids — which will only worsen with the rapidly approaching nationwide conversion to electric vehicles — I am greatly encouraged that the Montgomery County Commissioners have decided to seek federal approval for the construction of an ecologically safe hydropower plant in Norristown. Solar and wind power are also viable green energy options, but they don’t run constantly, unlike rivers. Accordingly, electric grids that rely heavily on solar and wind require backup power sources. Hydropower plants like the one Montco officials envision allow surplus power from peak electricity production periods to be used to pump water into reservoirs that can power turbines when needed. These projects also qualify for significant federal energy finance programs. There’s no time to waste. Build it.

Thomas J. Lepera, president at-large, Norristown Municipal Council

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