Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

To the Editor:

Re “Trump and My Fears for My Family,” by Aziz Ansari (Sunday Review, June 26):

Mr. Ansari, it is appalling that you would have to tell your mother not to go near a mosque. By “appalling” I do not mean what you said. I mean that this was prudent, that this is the state of our country.

Sir, I offer you what I can. You and other Muslim Americans are welcome in my home, my place of refuge. I am a white man, retired, and I stand against everything Donald Trump is about.

I realize that by identifying myself in this forum I may be a target for Trump supporters. You and I can be scared together. And, sir, we can vote in November.

DAVID R. GROUT

Oceanside, Calif.

Note from KBJ: I stand with Donald Trump, and I, too, vote in November.

Jeffrey Toobin thinks that because Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is black, he (Thomas) should uphold programs that are designed to assist blacks. Does anyone besides me find this offensive? The biggest racists in the country today are progressives such as Toobin, who believe that skin color determines belief. In other words, blacks don't have minds of their own.

Here are the final two kilometers of today's stage of the Tour de France.

Parade (1984).

I keep hearing Newt Gingrich mentioned as a vice-presidential running mate for Donald Trump. Please. Trump is 70 years old; Newt will be 73½ on inauguration day and would be 77½ by the end of his first term of office. I realize that the current vice president, Joe Biden, is also 73 years old, but he was "only" 66 when he took office in January 2009. Younger blood, Donald. Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana, is a better choice. He's 57 years old; he knows his way around Congress; and he has legal credentials (a J.D. degree from Indiana University School of Law). Here is additional information about Pence. I like the sound of "Trump/Pence 2016."

Here.

Here.

Television today is one long advertisement for pharmaceuticals punctuated by sporting events, "news," and reality shows. (I think you know why I put quotation marks around the word "news.") Here's what gets me. In almost every advertisement for drugs that I see, the people depicted as being on the drug are smiling, laughing, happy, and active. You see people walking (always briskly), listening to music while grinning broadly, pruning flowers with a look of contentment on their faces, riding bicycles, engaged in various building projects (either as hobby or as philanthropy), hiking, and in general enjoying the hell out of life.

What is the implicit message? It's not that the drug will return you to normal functioning or alleviate debilitating pain. God, no. It's that the drug will bring joy, happiness, and contentment into your life. Better living through pharmaceuticals! Sometimes, while watching these advertisements, I find myself craving the drug in question. "Yes! I want to be smiling giddily with my friends as we ride our bikes along a rustic trail. Yes! I want to be frolicking among the redwoods with my companion, observing flora and fauna. Yes! I want to be the center of attention at a family gathering, as I put platter after platter of home-cooked, nutritious food on the table. Yes! I want to refurbish a home for some unfortunate community member with my relatives, friends, and neighbors."

I have nothing against the use of pharmaceuticals by those who truly need them to restore normal functioning. What I object to is the idea, promulgated by pharmaceutical companies, that drugs are the ticket to happiness.

To the editor:

I share the surprise of most of the world that the British voted to leave the European Union. (Re “When is a boycott not a boycott,” Editorial, June 27, and “Britain’s migrant debate preceded ‘Brexit,’ ’’ June 30, and “A great divide,” July 1)

In fact, I am simply stunned that such a complex decision affecting so many aspects of governance, security and trade was left up to single majority vote by the public.

If the average British voter is anything like the average American voter, he or she knows little about how the machinery of government and global finances actually work—and so is poorly equipped to make such a momentous decision. Granted, the noble purpose of democracy is governance by the consent of the governed, but that assumes that the consent is based on more than emotions and hunches.

As we are experiencing here in America, political ignorance leaves a void that can be exploited by a demagogue playing on irrational fears and stoking the fires of isolating nationalism. Perhaps the Brexit vote will serve as a warning for us as we choose our next president.

Brian J. Goldenfeld, Woodland Hills

Note from KBJ: Get used to saying "President Trump," Brian. Your attitude is exactly why he is doing so well.