World History

\#\# A low\-cost\, 6\-week beginner\-level Turkish course with the non\-profit organization\, the Global Language Network\. Ready to dive into the world of Turkish? Join our fun and interactive class designed especially for those new to the language. **Details** Turkish Tourist with Ilhan Tuesdays from 6:30pm - 8:30pm ET April 7th to May 12th Hybrid - In-person, Farragut Square DC and Online Ready to learn? **Register [HERE](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9IdJEYqsE91SvfEEjIe8FuvoAjOusgE2ab_qkvm3apyjzg/viewform).** **Additional Information** * GLN classes are open to everyone over 18 years of age. * Have a credit or stipend to apply to your payment? Learn more about our credit, stipend, and refund policy on the [Pricing & Course Levels page.](https://thegln.org/pricing-%26-course-levels) **About GLN** We are a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to "Use Language as a Tool to Help Fix Our World." Since 2015 we have been rated #1 Best Language Classes in Washington, DC by Yelp! We are so happy and grateful to have you join our network and we appreciate your support of our mission.

A low cost, 6-week tourist-level አማርኛ (Amharic) course with the non-profit organization, the Global Language Network. \#\# Amharic Tourist Language Class ሀሎ ! Ready to dive into the world of Amharic? Join our fun and interactive class designed especially for those new to the language. **Details:** \#\#\#\# Amharic Tourist with Shambel Tuesdays from 6:30pm - 8:30pm ET Apr 12th to May 17th In-person, Farragut Square DC * GLN classes are open to everyone over 18 years of age. * Have a credit or stipend to apply to your payment? Learn more about our credit, stipend, and refund policy on the [Pricing & Course Levels page.](http://%5Bhttps://thegln.org/pricing-%26-course-levels%5D(https://thegln.org/pricing-%26-course-levels) "\[https://thegln.org/pricing-%26-course-levels\](https://thegln.org/pricing-%26-course-levels)") Ready to learn? **Register [HERE](http://%5Bhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9IdJEYqsE91SvfEEjIe8FuvoAjOusgE2ab_qkvm3apyjzg/viewform%5D(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9IdJEYqsE91SvfEEjIe8FuvoAjOusgE2ab_qkvm3apyjzg/viewform) "\[https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9IdJEYqsE91SvfEEjIe8FuvoAjOusgE2ab_qkvm3apyjzg/viewform\](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9IdJEYqsE91SvfEEjIe8FuvoAjOusgE2ab_qkvm3apyjzg/viewform)").** **About GLN** We are a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to "Use Language as a Tool to Help Fix Our World." Since 2015 we have been rated #1 Best Language Classes in Washington, DC by Yelp! We are so happy and grateful to have you join our network and we appreciate your support of our mission.

[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).

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

Do you have a startup that needs funding? Do you want to learn how startup funding works, what you need to do before trying to raise funding, and where you can go to get it - especially when interest rates are high, AI disruption is here and geopolitical uncertainty is here? Join us for this panel with real investors, which will provide practical, step by step advice. We will have entrepreneurs who have successfully raised money for their businesses, and investors actively funding ventures. Learn expert tips, big pitfalls to avoid, what investors are looking for, how equity works, and more. **❯ Guest Speakers include:** * Sever Totia (Partner, 3TS Capital Partners) * Mahir Iskender (Founder, KNDR Digital) * Guc Ozenci (Program Director, FI Washington DC) **❯ Who Should Attend?** * Anyone who is thinking about raising money for their startup * Anyone that wants an understanding of fundraising for early stage businesses and products * Founders who need guidance in uncertain times **❯ What are some of the Topics?** * The key metrics and pre-requisites for raising funding in the new World order * How to make yourself more attractive to investors during AI disruption and geopolitical uncertainty * How to utilize online fundraising networks and platforms, like AngelList, Gust, Kickstarter, and Indiegogo. * How to meet and work with different sources of capital, such as friends and family, angel investors, venture capitalists, government grants and loans, and more. * and more... **❯ What is the Agenda?** * Welcome and Socializing * Talks from Entrepreneurs who have raised capital, and Investors who fund startups * Question and Answer * Introduction to the Founder Institute * Discussion and Networking **❯❯ This is an in-person event, so be sure to RSVP at [https://fi.co/e/396628/meetup](https://fi.co/e/396628/meetup) to secure your spot and receive further details.**

A low cost, 6-week beginner-level **فارسی** (Farsi) course with the non-profit organization, the Global Language Network. \#\# Farsi Foreigner Language Class **Details:** \#\#\#\# Farsi Foreigner with Nargis Tuesdays from 6:00pm - 8:00 pm ET Apr 7th to May 12th In-person, Farragut Square DC or Online * GLN classes are open to everyone over 18 years of age. * Have a credit or stipend to apply to your payment? Learn more about our credit, stipend, and refund policy on the [Pricing & Course Levels page.](http://%5B%5B%5Bhttps://thegln.org/pricing-%26-course-levels%5D%5D%5D(https://thegln.org/pricing-%26-course-levels%5D%5D)(%5Bhttps://thegln.org/pricing-%26-course-levels%5D%5D(https://thegln.org/pricing-%26-course-levels%5D))(%5B%5Bhttps://thegln.org/pricing-%26-course-levels%5D%5D(https://thegln.org/pricing-%26-course-levels%5D)(%5Bhttps://thegln.org/pricing-%26-course-levels%5D(https://thegln.org/pricing-%26-course-levels)))) Ready to learn? **Register [HERE](http://%5B%5B%5Bhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9IdJEYqsE91SvfEEjIe8FuvoAjOusgE2ab_qkvm3apyjzg/viewform%5D%5D%5D(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9IdJEYqsE91SvfEEjIe8FuvoAjOusgE2ab_qkvm3apyjzg/viewform%5D%5D)(%5Bhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9IdJEYqsE91SvfEEjIe8FuvoAjOusgE2ab_qkvm3apyjzg/viewform%5D%5D(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9IdJEYqsE91SvfEEjIe8FuvoAjOusgE2ab_qkvm3apyjzg/viewform%5D))(%5B%5Bhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9IdJEYqsE91SvfEEjIe8FuvoAjOusgE2ab_qkvm3apyjzg/viewform%5D%5D(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9IdJEYqsE91SvfEEjIe8FuvoAjOusgE2ab_qkvm3apyjzg/viewform%5D)(%5Bhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9IdJEYqsE91SvfEEjIe8FuvoAjOusgE2ab_qkvm3apyjzg/viewform%5D(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9IdJEYqsE91SvfEEjIe8FuvoAjOusgE2ab_qkvm3apyjzg/viewform)))).** **About GLN** We are a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to "Use Language as a Tool to Help Fix Our World." Since 2015 we have been rated #1 Best Language Classes in Washington, DC by Yelp! We are so happy and grateful to have you join our network and we appreciate your support of our mission.

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

\#\# A low\-cost\, 6\-week intermediate\-level Spanish course with the non\-profit organization\, the Global Language Network\. Ready to dive into the world of Spanish? Join our fun and interactive class designed especially for those new to the language. **Details** Spanish Tourist with Kyle Sundays from 2:00pm - 4:00pm ET April 12th to May 17th In-person, Farragut Square DC Ready to learn? **Register [HERE](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9IdJEYqsE91SvfEEjIe8FuvoAjOusgE2ab_qkvm3apyjzg/viewform).** **Additional Information** * GLN classes are open to everyone over 18 years of age. * Have a credit or stipend to apply to your payment? Learn more about our credit, stipend, and refund policy on the [Pricing & Course Levels page.](https://thegln.org/pricing-%26-course-levels) **About GLN** We are a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to "Use Language as a Tool to Help Fix Our World." Since 2015 we have been rated #1 Best Language Classes in Washington, DC by Yelp! We are so happy and grateful to have you join our network and we appreciate your support of our mission.

Greetings from the capital! Every Saturday at 7:30 PM, people from all walks of life — students, diplomats, travelers, locals — gather to unwind and connect. [[Click this whatsapp groupchat link to join](https://chat.whatsapp.com/JFESzopY1OgJ5z4r3RINfL)] Our age range is mostly 20s to 30s. If you enjoy discussing culture, politics, travel, or just want to practice a new language, this group is for you. A perfect blend of diversity and dialogue, right in the heart of D.C.

**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).

Join us for a discussion of ***Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives* by Siddharth Kara** Here's the summary: An unflinching investigation reveals the human rights abuses behind the Congo’s cobalt mining operation―and the moral implications that affect us all. Cobalt Red is the searing, first-ever exposé of the immense toll taken on the people and environment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by cobalt mining, as told through the testimonies of the Congolese people themselves. Activist and researcher Siddharth Kara has traveled deep into cobalt territory to document the testimonies of the people living, working, and dying for cobalt. To uncover the truth about brutal mining practices, Kara investigated militia-controlled mining areas, traced the supply chain of child-mined cobalt from toxic pit to consumer-facing tech giants, and gathered shocking testimonies of people who endure immense suffering and even die mining cobalt. Cobalt is an essential component to every lithium-ion rechargeable battery made today, the batteries that power our smartphones, tablets, laptops, and electric vehicles. Roughly 75 percent of the world’s supply of cobalt is mined in the Congo, often by peasants and children in sub-human conditions. Billions of people in the world cannot conduct their daily lives without participating in a human rights and environmental catastrophe in the Congo. In this stark and crucial book, Kara argues that we must all care about what is happening in the Congo―because we are all implicated. **Let’s meet at Caboose Commons in Fairfax to enjoy some good discussion and meet new friends.**

Travel the World in One Day (Passport DC) Join us for one of Washington DC’s most unique cultural experiences — the Around the World Embassy Tour during **Passport DC! For one special day, embassies across Washington DC open their doors to the public, giving us the chance to travel the world without leaving the city. We’ll explore different embassies together, experiencing international culture through food, music, art, performances, and cultural demonstrations from countries around the globe. ✈️ What We’ll Experience As we embassy-hop, we may encounter: 🌎 Traditional cultural performances 🍽 International foods and drinks 🎶 Music and dance from around the world 👗 Cultural fashion and crafts 🎭 Art exhibits and cultural displays Participating embassies: Angola, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belize, Burkina Faso, China, Costa Rica, Côte d’ivoire, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Fuji, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Lebanon, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Mexican, Cultural Institute, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine Tentative plan: Meet up and introduce ourselves Review the embassy map and pick a route Visit several embassies together 📍 Meeting Point Dupont Circle area (exact location will be shared with attendees closer to the event). Many embassies are located near Embassy Row, making it easy to explore multiple locations on foot. Event Details Date: Saturday, May 2 Time: 9AM Cost: FREE 👥 Who Should Join This event is perfect for: ✨ People who love travel and culture ✨ Social explorers looking to meet new friends ✨ Food lovers and festival enthusiasts ✨ Anyone curious about international cultures If you enjoy meeting people, exploring DC, and discovering new cultures, you’ll love this event. ⚠️ Tips • Wear comfortable walking shoes • Bring water & snack • Expect lines at some embassies • We’ll move around the city on foot

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)

Christians in Tech is a community at the intersection of faith and technology. Our meetups are designed to spark meaningful conversations, promote knowledge sharing, and encourage growth—both in your career and your spiritual walk with God. Whether you're an experienced professional or just starting your tech journey, CIT welcomes you. Our Website [https://linktr.ee/citcbus](https://linktr.ee/citcbus) Sponsors and Partners * Improving (Venue Sponsor) * Bethel World Prayer Center (Fiscal Sponsor) * Fruits & Roots (Coffee Partner)

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."

It feels like we just saw each other 🤷. Join members of the local design and UX community for our monthly breakfast. For May we’re stopping in for Rooh’s popup breakfast/cafe concept. You know someone is getting the lobster yuzu croissant, and that’s not even the prettiest thing on the menu!.

Rev. Steven Clevenger is an ordained spiritualist minister with over 40 years experience as a Spiritual Healer, Clairvoyant and Spiritual Teacher, educated and trained at the White Lily Chapel. Rev. Siobhan Wolf Shaffer is an ordained spiritualist minister and certified medium and healer with over 20 years experience. She began her development in 1988 in Pennsylvania and continued when she moved to Ohio in 1998 where she studied at Rays of Lights Church with Rev. Steven Clevenger. Our full worship services consist of an inspirational lecture, healing meditation, and messages from the spirit world that serve to demonstrate evidence of eternal life. Please visit our Official Church Website (http://raysoflightchurch.com) for more information.

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?

The topic for May is "Ink" Speak Easy: true stories, told live. The idea is simple: an audience, an open microphone, and great stories. Hilarious, gripping, poignant- it's up to you. Audiences are invited to come to listen or come to tell as folks from all corners of Columbus offer their stories live on stage! Held at Wild Goose Creative's warm, intimate space, this night of tales occurs on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Doors open at 6:30 pm, show starts at 7:00 pm. Please arrive early if you want to tell, as we generally only have room for a limited number of tellers, and the sign-up sheet has a tendency to fill up fast. Formed around the idea that people need stories--they're what hold and draw us together--SpeakEasy celebrates the strangeness and commonness of being human. And in a world of smartphones, Facebook, Twitter, and more . . . it gives people a real, breathing, in-person way to connect. The night is geared for true stories of all kinds, taking the best tales told around kitchen tables, in darkened pubs, on the street corner, and at late-night parties and giving them an audience. Speak Easy is also a great outlet for performers, writers, and artists looking to share their favorite stories and perfect their skills. We strongly encourage tellers to please tell the story rather than read it so we keep within the spirit of good storytelling and stay engaged with the audience. All are welcome. Hang around after the show for a drink and build community!

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