American History

**This talk has completely sold out in advance and no door tickets will be available. You must have purchased a ticket to attend.** [Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Cuba, Our Closest Enemy,”** on our country’s volatile relationship with an island nation off Florida’s coast, with William M. LeoGrande, professor of government at American University and leading expert on U.S.-Cuban relations. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-cuba](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-cuba) .] The United States and Cuba are fractious neighbors who can’t get along but can’t move away from one another. From Fidel Castro’s defiant revolution to Donald Trump’s “Donroe Doctrine” asserting U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere, U.S. relations with Cuba have been acrimonious, tumultuous, and often dangerous—marked by invasion, attempted assassinations, nuclear confrontation, and half a century of economic warfare. Gain a deeper understanding of relationships between the two countries with Dr. William LeoGrande, widely recognized as one of the nation’s foremost experts on Cuban politics and U.S. policy toward the island, having authored or edited seven books on the subject, including *Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana.* Professor LeoGrande’s talk will chronicle the trajectory of this unique relationship of “perpetual hostility,” as Henry Kissinger called it, from confrontations to secret talks aimed at reconciliation. We’ll see how America’s playground of the 1950s became a cold war ally of the Soviet Union and how Cuban refugees became a powerful force in American politics. We’ll look at how the end of the cold war changed U.S.-Cuban relations—or didn’t—and how repeated attempts at rapprochement failed to rebuild the bridges that had burned in the early days of Cuba’s revolution. Since Fidel Castro left center stage in 2006, U.S.-Cuban relations have lurched back and forth at stomach-churning velocity. Professor LeoGrande, who has advised Congress on Cuba as a member of its foreign policy staff, will explore the stories behind the headlines. You’ll learn how changes from Republican to Democratic presidents produced radical swings in relations between Washington and Havana, most dramatically between President Barack Obama’s attempt to normalize relations and Donald Trump’s threats to bankrupt or invade the island. ( Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: A Cuban military truck in Havanna in 2006 (Photo by Thomassin Mickaël / Creative Commons).

Brisk 3-to 4-mile hike starting and ending at Bronson Bierhall near Ballston Metro in Arlington. We will hike Custis Trail before turning through Cherrydale and heading back to Bronson for drinks and food.

Spring has sprung! Let's celebrate Earth Month by watching a documentary about our amazing planet. You voted! And we're watching.... * King Coal (2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RilYEH6BsIw Available on Kanopy (free with a library card) and Amazon Prime ***Make sure to watch the film ahead of time*** and come prepared to discuss. All films are available for free on Kanopy. We will not be screening the film at the meeting! What to expect the day of: * Please try to arrive on time * Meet new friends over some drinks & snacks (feel free to bring something to share!) * The host will lay some group rules and facilitate our discussion * Leave with some new insights and new friends! FYI - the free version of MeetUp limits me to 10 RSVPS, but if you're #1-5 on the waitlist please feel free to join us anyway.

Two former British soldiers get the idea to make their way to Kafiristan, a remote kingdom somewhere on the Indian subcontinent. If they succeed, they would be the first White men to arrive in centuries. With their superior education and skills compared to the isolated Kafiristanis, they’re confident that they can become the rulers of the land and live like kings. Told mostly in flashback, it’s a story of Victorian-era high adventure, unchecked ambition, and mercenary greed. ■ Title — *The Man Who Would Be King* ■ Director — John Huston ■ Cast — Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer ■ Rating — PG ■ ©1975 \| 2h 9m \| Adventure\, Drama\, War ■ Watch it free with ads on Tubi: https://tubitv.com/movies/100012579/the-man-who-would-be-king ■ Available free without ads to Hoopla subscribers: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11749263 ■ As with most of our online features, you can watch this one whenever you like. Members who watch at the scheduled time may enjoy exchanging comments with other members on this page. If you post a comment before the show, please avoid spoilers. Comments posted after the show may contain any content, but Oddball Cinema encourages members to always avoid spoilers unless there’s some particularly important details you need to mention. ■ Many of the movies on our online events from as far back as March 2020 are still available for viewing. However, titles sometimes move from one streaming service to another. If you find that the links on an old event no longer work, you can search for the current providers of any title here: https://justwatch.com

Weekly Bible study currently reading through the Gospel of Luke. We meet at Teaism in Penn Quarter. You can find us in the downstairs seating area!

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **"Eugenics Then and Now,”** on a dangerous movement in science and its lessons for current research, with Carlo Quintanilla, molecular biologist and health science policy analyst at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-eugenics-then-and-now](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-eugenics-then-and-now) .] Global concerns about the return of eugenic thinking were reignited by Chinese scientist He Jiankui’s 2018 announcement of the first gene-edited babies, Lulu and Nana. He was quickly condemned by the scientific community and jailed for illegal medical practice, but he and others around the world continue experiments with goals echoing eugenic ambitions. As genetic technologies advance at extraordinary speed, society faces a new set of ethical questions about shaping the traits of future generations. Are we entering a new era of eugenics? If so, how should we respond? Hear such questions tackled by Carlo Quintanilla, who studied rare genetic mutations in human disease as a graduate research scientist and instructor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and now works at the intersection of genomic medicine, science, and society. Dr. Quintanilla will begin by discussing the origins and history of eugenics, tracing its development in the 19th and 20th centuries as an idea, a scientific movement, and a set of policies. He’ll examine the rise of Social Darwinism in the United Kingdom, forced sterilization programs in the United States, and the atrocities committed by the Third Reich in the name of “racial hygiene.” From there, he’ll explore how our ability to shape human health and heredity have been transformed by modern reproductive and genetic technologies such as in vitro fertilization, prenatal and embryo screening, and genome editing. You’ll learn how these tools hold enormous promise when it comes to the prevention and cure of rare and debilitating genetic conditions, yet also raise profound questions related to their potential enablement of a new, technologically driven form of eugenics. Dr. Quintanilla will then delve into the ongoing debate among scientists, bioethicists, and policymakers over what should be classified as eugenics today. He’ll highlight recent controversial uses of genetic and reproductive technologies that are pushing ethical boundaries faster than society can define them, from embryo selection for traits like IQ and height to speculative military interest in genetically enhanced soldiers. These examples raise urgent questions: Where should society draw ethical boundaries? Who gets to decide? And is the term “eugenics” still useful for guiding policy and public debate? We’ll close by examining the social, political, and regulatory forces that will determine the future, considering whether they will restrain the push toward further genetic control or accelerate it. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: The frontispiece of the 1883 book Inquiries into Human Faculty and Its Development, by pioneering eugenicist Francis Galton (Wikimedia Commons / Metropolitan Museum of Art).

We have an opportunity to take a guided group tour of the International Spy Museum at L'Enfant Plaza! And maybe some drinks at The Wharf afterwards... Please RSVP by EOD Friday, March 27th so that we can submit a preliminary head count. After we send the count, details on pricing, payment options, and final schedule will follow in this space. UPDATE: Preliminary head count has been submitted! If you have still not RSVPd, please do so by Friday, April 3rd - RSVPs will be closed after that date. The cost is $25/person, payable via Venmo to Jay Heath. We are planning to meet in the lobby at 3 PM, with the first hour of the tour being guided, the second hour an individual tour. Parking is $30 with a six foot height limit, and the closest Metro is L'Enfant Plaza. We can discuss grabbing post-tour dinner and drinks afterwards, but the Wharf is nearby with lots of options! UPDATE 4/4: RSVPs are now closed. Since all attendees are on our Whatsapp group chat, we will discuss further details there.

Attacks on high-profile public figures are much in the news. Both recently and long ago, President's Park has sadly been the site of many such assaults. Take a trip back into the wild history of how top officials have been protected--or not guarded effectively at all. Where: Meet in front of the historic National Theater, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004. Pre-Register and Prepay via— Eventbrite: [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guarding-the-presidents-tour-lafayette-square-white-house-neighborhood-tickets-1988287820394?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guarding-the-presidents-tour-lafayette-square-white-house-neighborhood-tickets-1988287820394?aff=oddtdtcreator) Or PayPal, sending $23 to: [paypal.me/EMoser460](http://paypal.me/EMoser460) Or pay $23 in cash at the start of the tour. What: Perhaps because of its connections to great power and wealth, the White House, Treasury Building, the former War, Navy, and State Dept. buildings, and Lafayette Square have been witness to two centuries of astonishing, often bloody attacks on top-ranking persons. We will visit many actual sites of startling history, drawing from the following: • The bodyguard who saved Lincoln's life, and the wayward cop who failed to save him • The assassin who stalked President Garfield, in President's Park • The cunning Mata Hari of the Civil War, who costs thousands of lives • The near slaying of the Secretary of State • The latest revelations on attempts to kill President Trump • Treasury, State Department, and War Department spies • The 1981 attack on the President at the Washington Hilton • How a murder unhinged a First Lady • When a Vice President narrowly avoided assassination • The graveyards over which Lafayette Square is built • The assassination attempt on Teddy Roosevelt • The murder of D.C.'s District Attorney • The two attempts to kill President Ford • The tragic death of a noted female artist, and of a valiant Navy hero • When an invading army almost captured a President and First Lady • How foreign terrorists almost killed President Truman • The suspected foreign spy's affair with a President • The assassination of President Cleveland • The forgotten Midnight Ride that save future Presidents from the gallows • How Franklin Roosevelt narrowly escaped two assassination attempts • The tragic First Lady who saved President's Park • Conspiracy theories: Fact or fiction? • The first assassination attempt on a President • Duels to the death in the Old Republic And more!! Who: Your host is a former writer for Jay Leno’s “The Tonight Show”, the author of the book America from A to Z, a former presidential speechwriter, and writer of a book on the history of Lafayette Square: [https://www.amazon.com/White-Houses-Unruly-Neighborhood-Lafayette-ebook/dp/B082ZVDCD7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1555118270&sr=1-1-catcorr](https://www.amazon.com/White-Houses-Unruly-Neighborhood-Lafayette-ebook/dp/B082ZVDCD7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1555118270&sr=1-1-catcorr) And his latest, a spy thriller set in Georgetown: [https://www.amazon.com/Femme-Fatalit](https://www.amazon.com/Femme-Fatalit)é-Lizzy-Thorne-Novel-ebook/dp/B0F4945MR5/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0 We’re the highest-rated on TripAdvisor: [https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d12791843-Reviews-Lafayette_Square_Tour_of_Scandal_Assassination_Intrigue-Washington_DC_District_of.html](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d12791843-Reviews-Lafayette_Square_Tour_of_Scandal_Assassination_Intrigue-Washington_DC_District_of.html) Nearest metro stations: Farragut North and West Restaurants nearby for afterwards at the Old Ebbitt Grill and the Hamilton Questions? Ask here, or at: [[[191.EP.JM.56@proton.me](mailto:191.EP.JM.56@proton.me)]([mailto:191.EP.JM.56@proton.me](http://mailto:191.EP.JM.56@proton.me/))]([http://mailto:191.EP.JM.56@proton.me/](http://mailto:191.EP.JM.56@proton.me/)), or 7032032670 The capital city's most timely and relevant tour! [](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=38.896111%2C%20-77.030205)

Attacks on high-profile public figures are much in the news. Both recently and long ago, President's Park has sadly been the site of many such assaults. Take a trip back into the wild history of how top officials have been protected--or not guarded effectively at all. Where: Meet in front of the historic National Theater, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004. Pre-Register and Prepay via— Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guarding-the-presidents-tour-lafayette-square-white-house-neighborhood-tickets-1988287820394?aff=oddtdtcreator Or PayPal, sending $23 to: [paypal.me/EMoser460](http://paypal.me/EMoser460) Or pay $23 in cash at the start of the tour. What: Perhaps because of its connections to great power and wealth, the White House, Treasury Building, the former War, Navy, and State Dept. buildings, and Lafayette Square have been witness to two centuries of astonishing, often bloody attacks on top-ranking persons. We will visit many actual sites of startling history, drawing from the following: • The bodyguard who saved Lincoln's life, and the wayward cop who failed to save him • The assassin who stalked President Garfield, in President's Park • The cunning Mata Hari of the Civil War, who costs thousands of lives • The near slaying of the Secretary of State • The latest revelations on attempts to kill President Trump • Treasury, State Department, and War Department spies • The 1981 attack on the President at the Washington Hilton • How a murder unhinged a First Lady • When a Vice President narrowly avoided assassination • The graveyards over which Lafayette Square is built • The assassination attempt on Teddy Roosevelt • The murder of D.C.'s District Attorney • The two attempts to kill President Ford • The tragic death of a noted female artist, and of a valiant Navy hero • When an invading army almost captured a President and First Lady • How foreign terrorists almost killed President Truman • The suspected foreign spy's affair with a President • The assassination of President McKinley • The forgotten Midnight Ride that save future Presidents from the gallows • How Franklin Roosevelt narrowly escaped two assassination attempts • The tragic First Lady who saved President's Park • Conspiracy theories: Fact or fiction? • The first assassination attempt on a President • Duels to the death in the Old Republic And more!! Who: Your host is a former writer for Jay Leno’s “The Tonight Show”, the author of the book America from A to Z, a former presidential speechwriter, and writer of a book on the history of Lafayette Square: [https://www.amazon.com/White-Houses-Unruly-Neighborhood-Lafayette-ebook/dp/B082ZVDCD7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1555118270&sr=1-1-catcorr](https://www.amazon.com/White-Houses-Unruly-Neighborhood-Lafayette-ebook/dp/B082ZVDCD7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1555118270&sr=1-1-catcorr) And his latest, aspy thriller set in Georgetown: [https://www.amazon.com/Femme-Fatalit](https://www.amazon.com/Femme-Fatalit)é-Lizzy-Thorne-Novel-ebook/dp/B0F4945MR5/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0 We’re the highest-rated on TripAdvisor: [https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d12791843-Reviews-Lafayette_Square_Tour_of_Scandal_Assassination_Intrigue-Washington_DC_District_of.html](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d12791843-Reviews-Lafayette_Square_Tour_of_Scandal_Assassination_Intrigue-Washington_DC_District_of.html) Nearest metro stations: Farragut North and West Restaurants nearby for afterwards at the Old Ebbitt Grill and the Hamilton Questions? Ask here, or at: [191.EP.JM.56@proton.me](http://mailto:191.EP.JM.56@proton.me/), or 7032032670 The capital city's most timely and relevant tour!

This will be our last meeting on *Nature's God: The Heretical Origins of the American Republic*, by Matthew Stewart. For this meeting, please read: Chapter 7: The Empire of Reason **Where did the ideas come from that became the cornerstone of American democracy?** America’s founders intended to liberate us not just from one king but from the ghostly tyranny of supernatural religion. Drawing deeply on the study of European philosophy, Matthew Stewart brilliantly tracks the ancient, pagan, and continental ideas from which America’s revolutionaries drew their inspiration. In the writings of Spinoza, Lucretius, and other great philosophers, Stewart recovers the true meanings of “Nature’s God,” “the pursuit of happiness,” and the radical political theory with which the American experiment in self-government began. [LINK](https://a.co/d/bkTWJNb) I recommend using an AI tool like ChatGPT to ask these questions: * What does Matthew Stewart say about the empire of reason in his book Nature's God? I hope to see you there! Fred

**This talk is completely sold out in advance and no door tickets will be available. You must have purchased a ticket to be admitted.** [Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Exploring the Deep Sea,”** a scholarly dive into an enormous and little-understood ecosystem, with Melissa Betters, deep ocean explorer and deep-sea biologist at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-deep-sea](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-deep-sea) .] If you’re afraid of the deepest, darkest reaches of the ocean, you aren’t alone. For centuries, humans have imagined the ocean’s depths to be inhabited by all manner of monsters, from the Kraken to Godzilla. But what is the cost of viewing over 70% of our planet with fear and aversion? Who benefits from that? Come to see the deep sea as far more worthy of fascination than fear with the help of Dr. Melissa Betters, a biologist and marine ecosystem researcher who has made nine trips to the bottom of the ocean and taught at Bryn Mawr College and Temple University. She’ll take you on a scholarly exploration of various deep-sea ecosystems around the world such as deep coral reefs and boiling-hot hydrothermal vents. We’ll get to know some of the deep ocean’s captivating biodiversity, examining where it lives, what it does, and why it matters to us. With her help you’ll come to see the deep ocean as a tapestry of different environments, each of which host their own forms of life and present their own suite of ecological challenges. Importantly, we’ll also look at how the deep ocean is portrayed in both myth and media, considering how our perceptions are skewed by the rhetoric used to describe it and the images used to depict it. Despite appearing far-removed and out of reach, the deep ocean is still a part of our planet, subject to all the same challenges and human impacts as life on land. The final part of this talk will examine the variety of human impacts affecting the deep ocean and actions we can take to protect Earth’s final frontier. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: Magnoteuthis magna, the most common deep-ocean squid, as photographed in Kinlan Canyon off of Rhode Island (NOAA Ocean Exploration photo).

We meet to learn and practice American Sign Language and to grow our familiarity with Deaf culture. Facilitated by hearing folks (with a connection to a professional interpreter) using Deaf-created content. People of all ASL skill levels are welcome! As we learn, we hope to connect more with the Deaf community in Central Ohio. Join us as you're able! Come regularly or just once - whatever you're looking for! Each meetup will explore different topics related to ASL/Deaf culture, and will feature time to practice conversation with one another. Just bring yourself and a willingness to learn!

Let’s meet and share our thoughts about Carson McCullers’ novella, The Ballad of The Sad Café.

When judging morality, should we prioritize **intentions/duty** or **outcomes/results**? It introduces two influential philosophers as representatives of these approaches. * **Immanuel Kant (deontology):** An action is moral when it is done from **duty** and follows rational, universal principles (the **categorical imperative**). Certain acts—like lying—are wrong regardless of the consequences; you can’t do a wrong thing for a right reason. * **John Stuart Mill (utilitarian consequentialism):** The morality of an action is determined by its **effects**, specifically how much **happiness/well-being** it produces. Mill argues that some pleasures are “higher” than others, and that good intentions don’t redeem harmful outcomes. ## Discussion Questions 1. **The lying dilemma:** A murderer comes to your door and asks if your friend is hiding inside. Kant would say you must not lie. 2. **Can good intentions rescue a bad outcome?** 3. **The organ harvest problem:** A surgeon has five patients dying of organ failure and one healthy patient in for a checkup. Killing the one to harvest organs would save five lives, and the math works out for the utilitarian. Why does this feel so deeply wrong? Is that feeling a point in Kant's favor, or just a bias we should overcome? 4. **Do rules need exceptions?** Kant insists moral rules must be universal, with no exceptions. But most of us can imagine extreme scenarios where any rule seems like it should bend. Does the need for exceptions fatally undermine deontology, or is the strength of the system precisely that it refuses to bend? 5. **Who gets to calculate the consequences?** Utilitarianism asks us to maximize good outcomes, but we're notoriously bad at predicting consequences. If we can't reliably know the results of our actions, is it practical to base our entire moral system on outcomes? Does this uncertainty push us back toward rules and principles? 6. **Everyday morality:** Think about a real moral decision you've made recently, even a small one. Did you reason more like a Kantian (what's the right thing to do in principle?) or more like a utilitarian (what will produce the best result?)? Do most people naturally lean one way? 7. **Justice vs. the greater good:** A town can prevent a deadly plague by sacrificing one innocent person. The greater good is clearly served. But is it just? Can an action be morally right and deeply unjust at the same time? 8. **The big synthesis question:** Are these two systems actually opposed, or do they often arrive at the same answers by different paths? Is it possible that we need both: rules to guide us in the moment and consequences to evaluate systems and policies over time?

## Candle Making Night at The Arcane Foundry \| Design Your Own Custom Candle **SPECIAL PROMOTION**: Buy 3 and get 1 Free! Step into The Arcane Foundry and create your own custom candle from start to finish. This is a laid back, hands-on experience where **you’ll blend fragrances, choose your vessel, and pour your own candle using 100% soy wax**. Whether you’re coming solo or with friends, it’s designed to be simple, creative, and a good time. We’ll walk you through the entire process, from picking your scents to choosing between a traditional cotton wick or a crackling wood wick. You can go with one fragrance or mix your own blend to create something completely unique**. No experience needed**, just show up and we’ll handle the rest. While your candle sets, feel free to hang out, play a game, explore the shop, or just relax and talk. Drinks and snacks are available, and the atmosphere leans into the **fantasy**, **dark academia**, and **gothic horror** vibe The Arcane Foundry is known for. Learn More: [Candle Making in Columbus, Ohio at The Arcane Foundry](https://thearcanefoundry.com/candle-making/) *** ### What to Expect: * Guided candle making experience * Choose your own vessel, wax, wick, and fragrance * 100% soy wax candles * Optional drinks and snacks * Time to relax while your candle cools *** ### Important Notes: * Please arrive on time so we can start together * Candles will need time to set before taking home * This is a beginner-friendly event *** ### RSVP Required Reserve your spot on Meetup to lock in your seat. **Candle Making** (includes vessel, your choice of wick, wax, scented oil, labels and lids) 5oz Glass Jars $15 8oz Candle Tins $25 12oz Glass Candles $35 12oz Amber Jars $40 16 oz Skull or Jack o Lantern Candle Mugs $65 (Limited Edition!) **All materials included. You just bring yourself (and your drink of choice).** **Payments accepted:** * Credit Card * Venmo: @Daclaud-Lee * Cashapp: $DaclaudL

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who enjoy talking to people from other countries, and those who would like to discuss international travel and culture, and who enjoy getting together for good conversations."

ASH is Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists of First Unitarian Universalists of Columbus Ohio TBD Snacks are usually available, and you are welcome to bringing something to share!