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

Nobody knows when George Armstrong Custer died at the Battle of the Little Bighorn on 25 June 1876, but it's clear, given where his body was found, that he was one of the last to die. I picture him, pistol in hand, rallying his troops. "Come on, boys; don't give up! We can whip these savages!" William Kristol is in the rallying stage of his battle against Donald Trump. You may rest assured that he will meet Custer's fate. The sad thing is that he doesn't have to. He can get right with Donald today and start sleeping soundly by tomorrow evening. Once the Battle of the Little Bighorn began, Custer had no chance to get right with Crazy Horse or Gall.

Addendum: Kristol refers to Trump as "a grinning con man, basking in the approbation of his credulous supporters." There in that one descriptive passage is Kristol's elitism, disdain, and condescension. It's not enough for Kristol to think that Trump is inferior to one of the other Republican candidates. That's a fair judgment. He has to make a personal attack on Trump's supporters, calling them "credulous." William Kristol knows what's best for you, you hayseed, you hick, you hillbilly, you rube. Don't you know that he has a Ph.D. degree from Harvard (in government, no less)? Defer to him! Vote for whichever candidate he deems best for you and for the country! Kneel!

To the editor:

We are overloaded with news of earthquakes, tornadoes and floods. Just this week, the Sierra Nevada was making headlines. I live in Mammoth Lakes, on the side of a dormant volcano, on the rim of the Long Valley Caldera. Apparently, we (and everyone else living in the eastern Sierra) are about 30 years overdue for a rather large earthquake. ("Major earthquake overdue in California's Eastern Sierra, study finds," April 19)

Here's a news flash for those of you who don't know how our planet works: It moves. All the time. For billions of years our planet has moved and blown and eroded and twisted and flooded itself into the shapes we see today. Humans decided to build cities in the areas of our planet that have always had quakes and storms. If your house tumbles off the cliff or is torn apart, sorry. You're the one who decided to move where Mother Nature has done her dance for longer than humans have been a species.

My mother worries about such things, as she should. She lives in Century City and said to me recently, “I hope the earthquake doesn't happen while you're here.” I replied, “Me too, but I live on the side of a volcano that spurts hydrogen sulfide into the air and is killing trees near our house, so. . . .”

If you're worried about when the next earthquake is going to happen in your town, don't. The Earth will snap when it's ready and not a minute sooner.

Stacey Powells-Lyster, Mammoth Lakes

Note from KBJ: Good luck, Stacey. I hope you don't blame God when your home is destroyed. God created an orderly world and gave humans both the ability to understand how it works and the freedom to choose wisely in light of that knowledge. You have chosen, but I fear not wisely.

Here.

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First, science ate religion, and scientists laughed. Then, science ate morality, and scientists laughed again. Now science is eating itself, and scientists are not laughing.

Addendum: Philosophers who are science groupies will not be laughing when science eats philosophy.

I'm not the first person to notice this, but there are different types of conservative. Ordinarily, there is no reason to distinguish them, but this year this is. Here are the types:

• Idea conservatives.
• God conservatives.
• Blood conservatives.
• Money conservatives.
• War conservatives.

Ted Cruz, George Will, and Jonah Goldberg are idea conservatives. Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, and Ben Carson are God conservatives. Sarah Palin, Pat Buchanan, Michael Savage, Donald Trump, and I are blood conservatives. Carly Fiorina, Rand Paul, and Paul Ryan are money conservatives. Jeb Bush, Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and William Kristol are war conservatives.

Addendum: A couple of people asked about blood conservatism. Here is what I mean by it.

Travels (1983). One of my favorite albums of all time.

To the editor:

With the Tennessee governor's veto of his legislature's bill to make the Bible the official state book, they should consider so honoring some constitutionally compliant tome. ("Tennessee's governor vetoes Bible as state book," April 17 [sic]

How about a book from the non-fiction realm, something that conveys enlightening, incontrovertible truths rather than preachy, faith-based fables? Something that might help Tennesseans focus on reality and better see their way in life?

My humble suggestion is an empirical classic: “On the Origin of Species,” by Charles Darwin.

As the official state book, Darwin's work might well inspire Tennessee's public schools to spurn the teaching of creationism—currently authorized under state law—and instead imbue their students with evolutionary truths to better understand and appreciate humans' existence.

Gloria Martel, Los Angeles

Note from KBJ: If I'm God, I'm burning Gloria Martel in hell forever. Not because she's an atheist, but because she's dogmatic.

Here.

Here.