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Judith Ortiz Cofer on Making Peace with the Kitchen
Get PDFAbstract: The purpose of this paper is to reveal the connection between Judith Ortiz Cofer’s little-known poem, “Beans: An Apologia for Not Loving to Cook†and the events of Ortiz Cofer’s own life, with emphasis on tradition and the impact of mother-daughter relationships. Currently, there is minimal research on “Beans,†but when placed in context of Ortiz Cofer’s personal history and studies of her more popular works, it is clear she is recounting her own story here. The poem traces a woman’s relationship with the kitchen from childhood to motherhood. This paper shows the connection between the poem and Ortiz-Cofer’s own complicated relationship with the kitchen. She pulls from her memories to explain her initial rejection of the kitchen and broader rejection of tradition’s demands, revealing the role the kitchen played in her life and the lives of women who raised her. As a child in her traditional Catholic and Puerto Rican home, she learned and rejected the “the lessons of the kitchen.†She saw the role her mother filled there as a prison. When she raised her own daughter, her relationship with the kitchen changed. Ortiz Cofer wrote “Beans†for her daughter, Tanya, and titled it “An Apologia,†labeling this poem as an explanation addressed to Tanya. The resolution of Ortiz Cofer’s conflict with the kitchen hinges on Tanya’s embrace of the space. “Beans†ties most strongly into Ortis Cofer’s own life where it ends: in the present with a daughter who loves the kitchen. This paper reveals “Beans: A Apologia for Not Loving to Cook†as a testament to the peace Ortiz Cofer found by embracing the kitchen not as a fulfilled demand of tradition, but as an act of love for her daughter
Unitary Executive Theory, Original Intent and Commander in Chief Authority to Use Military Force
Get PDFThe modern era has seen the rise of the Unitary Executive Theory which holds the Constitution’s Article II executive gives the President unchecked Command in Chief authority to use military force. The Unitary Executive Theory goes against the original intent of the Founding Fathers. The Declaration of Independence justified the foundation of a new republic on the King\u27s abuses of power and violations of the rule of law. The Founding Fathers had a central concern to avoid executive abuses. Only reassurance that the humble George Washington, known for moderation in the exercise of power, persuaded the founders to create an executive branch.
The Original Intent of the President’s Commander in Chief authority gives the President operational authority over the military and foreign policy of the nation. However, executive power is subject to Congressional authority and direction while the decision to take the nation to war reserved to Congress. The President has authority only for immediate response to attacks upon the United States.
Modern day Presidents have abused their Command in Chief and have involved the United States in numerous unnecessary conflicts lacking clear goals and sound strategy. Unlimited Presidential authority to use military force has made the nation less safe. Further, the Republic has been weakened as Presidents have increasingly centralized authority and Congressional power has weakened. The original intent of the Constitution for limited Presidential power in which even Command in Chief authority to subjective to Congressional checks and overcite must be restored. Congress needs to pass legislation clarifying the proper limits and processes for the use of military force both to restore the Constitutional limits and adapt the national strategy to the challenges of the 21st Century.
[1] Thomas Jefferson, “Draft of the Declaration of Independence.” (Washington, DC, National Archives), https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript.
[2] David J. Barron and Martin S. Lederman, The Commander in Chief at the Lowest Ebb – Framing the Problem, Doctrine, and Original Understanding, “121 Harvard Law Review 767 (January 2008)., 770-773
Failed Foreign Policy of the Biden Administration in the G5 Sahel: Russia’s Return to the Region and its Impact on the US and French Influence in the Sahel Region
Get PDFFormed in 2014, the G5 Sahel includes Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger. This alliance aims to enhance security and stability in the Sahel region, which connects Northern Africa with the Red Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Despite its rich natural resources, the Sahel remains impoverished and hotbed of terrorism. In the past four years, military takeovers occurred in Mali (2020, 2021), Chad (2021), Burkina Faso (2022), and Niger (2023), attributed to the Biden administration’s failed foreign policy in the region. These coups led to the dismissal of foreign military bases, particularly those of France and the US, with widespread citizen support. Consequently, Russian military forces and mercenaries were welcomed as alternatives, believed to help secure these countries and help them boost their economies. Long-standing relationships with France and the US, dating back to the 1960s, have been strained due to France’s neglect of economic and security needs and the US’s failure to recognize issues rapidly and strategize accordingly. The US either assumed France would stabilize the region as the former colonial power or believed the threat of communism had been defeated. With Russia’s re-entry into the region, the impact on the US and France is significant, potentially influencing the entire Sub-Saharan region
Philosophy, Power, and Morality: Towards a better Haiti by Forging and Wielding Biblical Moral Sword
Get PDF21st century Haiti, it is the worst of times, an age of foolishness, an epoch of incredulity, a season of darkness, a dry season of despair, and a century of contaminated moral atmosphere. This gradation explains the rationale behind the self-exile of a great number of Haitians to other countries where life is not as invaluable as it is in the poorest country of Central America. This paper is an attempt to mainly pose solutions to the problems of impunity, unauthorized power, and transparent corruption. How does a nation go up after hitting rock bottom repeatedly? Does a “failed state” have a chance to rebuild itself? How do we rise from the ashes like a phoenix? This paper will examine the history and reasoning of some philosophers, poets, and leaders, such as the statesman Cicero [or Plato], President John Adams, and President Václav Havel. Respectively, the literature resources I will use are Cicero’s De Re Publica , and “How to Run a Country,” John Adams’s Thoughts on Government, Václav Havel’s Power of the Powerless, and Rousseau\u27s Emile. Furthermore, this research will gauge the potential impact of the philosophy combination of the authors mentioned above in the Haitian context. This paper will gauge the normative impact of statesmanship, stewardship, servanthood, and scholarship in a Haitian context. After all, why not strive to dream of the best of times, an age of wisdom, an epoch of belief, a season of light, and a rainbow of hope
Manumission in Virginia: A Christian Witness
Get PDFWhile uncommon, slave manumissions occurred in the United States of America. Manumissions were voluntary releases of slaves through legal documents such as wills and deeds. While manumissions happened in many states prior to and during the Civil War, the Commonwealth of Virginia had the most manumissions. Varied reasons were given for the freeing of slaves, some of them religious. This article explores many of the explicitly Christian reasons given for the freeing of slaves, seeking to illustrate the connection between people’s political and legal action and their identities as followers of Christ, doing all things before the face of God. Through primary source analysis, readers will see the Christian witness of individual manumitters, as well as how the Word of God was brought to bear on the political and legal aspects of eighteenth and nineteenth century Virginian life. These legal documents and their exploration will provide further insight into the relatively unexplored world of manumissions and contribute to the literature on historical Christian political action in Virginia
Eastern Strategic Thought and Its Connection to Confucianism, Taoism and Chinese Buddhism Compared to Christianity in Western Strategic Thought
Get PDFBelief, whether religious in origin or the culmination of experiences and wisdom is part of the foundation for strategic intent. Personal decisions, situational leadership, and character are derived from the foundational worldview of the individual and this individual is characterized by a multitude of principles that make up their worldview. This can be extrapolated to explore the philosophical underpinnings of eastern strategic thought in comparison to that of western strategic thought. Eastern strategic thought is heavily influenced by Taoism, Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism but to what degree and to what end have these mechanisms influenced eastern strategic thought. On the other hand, western strategic thought is sown with Christian ideology – to what end does this effect western thought and how does it contrast with that of eastern strategic thought. The underpinnings of belief that effect the very worldview of strategic thought will be explored, deconstructed, and synthesized to understand the relationship of Confucianist, Taoist, and Buddhist ideology that is present within eastern strategic thought as compared to Christian ideology within western thought
A Modern Strategy to Combat Pornography
Get PDFIn keeping up with 2025’s Public Policy Conference theme, “Legacy of Freedom,” it would be beneficial to discuss the importance of freedom from addiction, especially related to pornography. The purpose of this essay is to assess the political feasibility of sweeping prohibitions on the access of pornography. To aid in the development of the essay, research was conducted which consisted of utilizing academic reports documenting the consequences of pornography on both its consumers and those featured in sexual scenes to set a background for the paper as well as survey data exploring public sentiment towards pornography and potential restrictions on its accessibility. Furthermore, historical reference was used to explain how certain political movements, even those initially unpopular, eventually won public support, which could provide insight into how to make even total pornography restrictions palatable to the American public. With these aspects accounted for, the essay concludes that despite the apparent present unpopularity of total prohibitions on pornography, the largely moderate attitudes on this matter as well as historical precedents like the successes of techniques used by leftists in the mid-20th century to successfully normalize radical ideas suggest that instituting complete pornography prohibitions is feasible and through utilization of political strategies used by progressives during the Cold War to shape the culture narrative, can win broad public support
Reigning in the Federal Reserve
Get PDFSince the inception of the Federal Reserve Bank in 1913, the United States economy has experienced a cycle of “booms and busts,” periods of expansion and periods of contraction. Inconsistent monetary policy on the part of the Fed has led to both record inflation, and at times, dangerous deflation. Though these cycles persist, congress has continuously expanded the Federal Reserve’s authority to combat the very phenomena it created. The Feds current mandate, under the Federal Reserve Act instructs the bank to, “promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates.”[1] The statutes vague language has caused rapid growth in the Federal Reserve’s powers and methods by which they regulate the economy through monetary policy. Congress should reevaluate the Feds mandate and reign in its expanded powers. To do this, Congress should enact legislative changes, mandating a single purpose: stable spending. Furthermore, Congress should restrict quantitative easing and restore accountability by allowing the Government Accountability office to conduct routine audits. Implementing these changes will reduce waste, fraud, and abuse, while creating a stable economy with more opportunity for growth.
[1] “Changing the Federal Reserve’s Mandate: An Economic Analysis,” CRS Report (Congressional Research Service, 2013)
PRM1 Influences Mating and Virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans
Get PDFCryptococcus neoformans, an opportunistic pathogen, relies on homeostasis, environmental stability, and adaptability for its growth and survival. C. neoformans primarily infects immunocompromised individuals, increasing the propensity of invading the central nervous system. The most affected are individuals with HIV/AIDs. Recently, the World Health Organization classified C. neoformans as a Critical Priority fungal pathogen due to its widespread presence and high mortality rate. The ability to adapt to changes in environmental pH is one of the key factors contributing to C. neoformans pathogenicity. The gene CNAG_05866 was recently identified by researchers at Duke University via a mutagenesis screen to identify genes involved in pH adaptation. CNAG_05866, an ortholog of PRM1 in S. cerevisiae, is also important for pH adaptation. PRM1 in S. cerevisiae is known to play a role in plasma membrane fusion and mating. In this study, we deleted the PRM1 gene in C. neoformans and analyzed its impact on pH adaptation. Our findings show that the prm1Δ mutant exhibits significantly impaired growth at alkaline pH. Additionally, qPCR data suggest that PRM1 may act as a repressor of the SRE1 pH regulatory pathway. Furthermore, PRM1 influences mating and basidiospore production in C. neoformans, our data however suggests that it does not affect cell fusion during mating as the different prm1∆ crosses produce mating hyphae, making it different from the ortholog in S. cerevisiae