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

When Ronald Reagan left office in January 1989, he was a few days short of his 78th birthday. If Donald Trump serves two terms, he will be almost 79 years old when he leaves office in January 2025.

To the Editor:

Re “Jailed Oregon Protest Leader Urges Followers: ‘Please Go Home’” (front page, Jan. 28): What if a group of disgruntled black Americans, or Hispanic Americans or Muslim Americans, angry with the federal government, occupied a remote federal building and called on their fellow citizens to grab their weapons and join them in the occupation?

Would the local, county, state and federal forces simply isolate the building and hope the standoff ends by itself? Probably not. The probable end would be a lot more bodies on the ground.

GEORGE WELLS

Dover, N.J.

Note from KBJ: No, George, the forces of the state would not isolate the building and hope the standoff ends by itself. The protesters would be hailed as national heroes by you, by the New York Times, by the president of the United States, and by all the television networks. Do you not know that blacks, Hispanics, and Muslims are victims? Victims are to coddled, not held responsible for their actions. Perhaps you should get out of Dover every now and then, George.

A Kind of Magic (1986). 3:16. O.M.G.

Here.

Here.

Heh. Remember my blog posts about chess and bridge not being sports? This philosopher agrees. It's amazing to me that, when you say that chess and bridge are not sports, aficionados of those activities hear it as a criticism. It's not at all a criticism! Chess and bridge are highly competitive, intellectually challenging, and, for all I know, enjoyable games; but why in the world would someone think that they're sports? Not all games are sports. Not all competitive games are sports. Not all good things are sports. Eating is not a sport; sex is not a sport. Am I criticizing those activities in saying that? Am I in any way slighting them, belittling them, or disparaging them? So the question is: Why are chess and bridge aficionados so touchy and defensive?

Pat Buchanan has been right from the beginning.

To the Editor:

Re “The Obama Theory of Trump,” by David Axelrod (Op-Ed, Jan. 25):

Donald Trump is a self-aggrandizing egotist, but many of his policies resonate with average Americans. Many of us think that the real culprit in income disparity in this country is the constant offshoring of jobs. How can workers campaign for higher wages when the company can just move the plant to Mexico?

Mr. Trump and Bernie Sanders are the two who recognize this, or at least haven’t made Faustian bargains that would prevent them from taking such positions. Many intellectuals do not see the devastation of our trade policies, but it is real and people want change. Apple should make its products in the United States.

ARTHUR MANN

Lancaster, Pa.

Note from KBJ: Free trade has been a disaster for this country. I'm glad to see that people are noticing.

Wait. What? Didn't Michael Jackson do everything he could to be white, just as Rachel Dolezal did everything she could to be black? What's wrong with a white actor portraying him?

Punch the Big Guy (1987).