Novelist, academic and tattoo artist Samuel Steward’s plight shows that ‘cancel culture’ was alive and well in the 1930s

Outside of teaching and writing, Samuel Steward took up tattooing. The Estate of Samuel M. Steward

Alessandro Meregaglia, Boise State University

In January 2023, Hamline University opted not to renew the contract of an art professor who showed a 14th-century depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in class. Hamline labeled the incident “Islamophobic” and released a statement, co-signed by the university’s president, saying that respect for “Muslim students … should have superseded academic freedom.”

After widespread backlash, the university walked back that statement. However, the lecturer was still not rehired.

Concerns about academic freedom are nothing new. Rather than being a product of recent “cancel culture,” tension has long existed over the ability of professors to freely teach and write about controversial topics without fear of retribution.

More than 80 years ago, an English professor named Samuel Steward was dismissed from his teaching position after publishing what his college’s president deemed a “racy” novel.

As an archivist and scholar studying publishing in the American West, I’ve located published and unpublished archival sources detailing the controversy surrounding Steward after he published his first novel, which ultimately cost him his job.

A book met with backlash

A native of the Midwest, Steward earned his Ph.D. in English in 1934 from Ohio State University. The following year, Washington State College – now Washington State University – hired Steward to teach classes on a one-year contract.

An aspiring writer, Steward drafted his first novel while still a graduate student. He worked to find a publisher and contacted a small firm in rural Idaho. After an editorial review, Caxton Printers agreed to publish Steward’s novel, “Angels on the Bough,” which told the story of a small group of characters and their intertwined lives in a college town.

Caxton Printers founder James H. Gipson. Lehigh University Special Collections

Founded in 1907, Caxton Printers has earned national attention for its fierce defense of freedom of expression and unique publishing philosophy. Caxton’s founder, James H. Gipson, understood the transformative power of books and sought to give a voice to deserving writers when other firms rejected them. Profit was not a motivator. As Gipson explained to Steward, “We are interested not in making money out of any author for whom we may publish, but in helping him.”

Caxton published “Angels on the Bough” in May 1936.

The book immediately received reviews, almost entirely positive, in dozens of newspapers across the country. The New York Times wrote favorably about the novel, describing Steward as possessing “a very distinct gift above the usual.”

And Gertrude Stein, the American writer and expatriate who lived most of her life in France, lauded “Angels on the Bough” in a letter she penned to Steward.

“I like it I like it a lot, you have really created a piece of something,” Stein wrote. “It quite definitely did something to me.”

Steward loses his job

Despite the favorable reception, the book started causing trouble for Steward before it was even published. Review copies reached campus in early May 1936. Steward soon began hearing rumors that college administrators found his book distasteful for its sympathetic portrayal of a prostitute, one of the main characters.

The publication of ‘Angels on the Bough’ prompted Washington State College to not renew Steward’s contract. Alessandro Meregaglia

Yet, as Steward noted in an interview during the 1970s, the book was “very tame – reading like ‘Little Women’ by today’s standards.”

Steward sent an urgent telegram to Gipson asking him to stop selling the book on campus: “A young poor man with only one job asks that you withdraw his novel … because his departmental head and dean hint at his discharge.”

Caxton had advertised the book as “not appeal[ing] to the less liberal mind.” This “alarmed several people,” according to Steward. The head of the English department told Steward his book contained “unsavory material” and that Steward’s position “would undoubtedly prove very embarrassing” to the college.

Despite this, Steward still planned to return to teach classes the following autumn. Earlier that spring, he had been verbally assured that he would receive another one-year contract. Three weeks later, however – and just hours before he left campus for the summer – Washington State’s president, Ernest O. Holland, summoned Steward to a meeting.

Holland informed Steward his contract would not be renewed. He accused Steward of writing a “racy” novel and of being sympathetic with a student strike a month earlier.

Angered, Steward immediately dashed off a telegram to Gipson: “Discharged by God Holland for writing a racy novel … I have no regrets whatsoever despite the fact his methods were those of Hitler but think I will take up stenography.”

Steward and Gipson both set to work to widely publicize Steward’s dismissal. Steward appealed to the Association of American University Professors for assistance. Founded in 1915, the association’s primary purpose is “to advance academic freedom.” The organization still regularly investigates violations of academic freedom, including what happened at Hamline University.

After months of investigation, the AAUP published its report. It determined that Steward had been unjustly let go and concluded that “President Holland’s handling of the Steward case has been most ill-judged, and indicates … improper restriction of literary freedom.”

From teaching to tattooing

After leaving Washington State, Steward promptly found a position at Loyola, a Catholic university in Chicago. Before hiring him, Loyola’s dean read Steward’s book and apparently had no objections. An AAUP member noted the irony: “Apparently our Catholic brethren are much more tolerant than a state institution in Washington.”

Samuel Steward worked as a tattoo artist under the alias Phil Sparrow. Wikimedia

Outside of teaching, Steward, who was gay, published gay erotica under the pseudonym Phil Andros and took up tattooing. By 1956, Steward permanently left academia to ply his trade as a tattoo artist full time on Chicago’s South State Street under another alias, Philip Sparrow.

In the 1960s, he moved to California and opened up a tattoo parlor in Oakland, where he became the “official” tattoo artist for the Hells Angels motorcycle club.

After retiring from tattooing, Steward lived a quiet life in Berkeley. He still wrote frequently, producing a handful of fiction and nonfiction books. Steward died in California in 1993 at the age of 84.

Despite his prolific and varied career, Steward’s legacy as a “remarkable figure in gay literary history” was not widely known until the publication of Justin Spring’s meticulously researched 2010 book, “Secret Historian.”

Interest in Steward continues. Performance artist John Kelly recently staged a show, “Underneath the Skin,” in December 2022 that examined Steward’s life.

It is impossible, of course, to know the trajectory of Samuel Steward’s career if he had been reappointed to Washington State for another year. But a prescient comment Steward made just before his dismissal suggests that he sensed he couldn’t stay in academia forever: “I am afraid I will have to get out of the teaching profession in order to be able to write the way I want to.”

Academic freedom is related to free speech. A long-standing tradition afforded to college faculty, it shields professors from retribution – from both internal and external sources – for teaching controversial topics within their area of expertise. According to the AAUP, academic freedom is based on the premise that higher education promotes “the common good (which) depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition.”

This protection covers both classroom lectures and publications.

With debates about academic freedom lately making headlines – from outside interests influencing appointments, to administrators kowtowing to vocal students, to politicians changing oversight of public universities – Steward’s plight some 87 years ago is a reminder that this freedom requires constant defense.

Alessandro Meregaglia, Associate Professor and Archivist, Boise State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Legislative Alert: CALL NOW!

 

Legislative Alert: CALL NOW! Action is needed to place House Bill 6 on the Special-Order Calendar for a floor vote!!!!   Good news! House Bill 6 (HB6), known as the Parental Rights Protection Act, received a favorable report out of the House Judiciary Committee with one friendly amendment on April 12, 2023. What’s next? HB6 is now placed in the House Rules Committee and must be selected/picked by the committee to be considered for a floor vote.  HB6 seeks to protect Parental Rights as a Fundamental Right in state code, and to shield Alabamians from government overreach. You can read the amended bill here. The purpose of House Bill 6 is to codify existing precedent of the U.S. Supreme Court and Alabama Supreme Court. We ask you to take a moment to contact as many of these committee members on the Rules Committee as you can and urge them to pick HB6 to be placed on the Special-Order Calendar for April 20th. Communicate to them that you deeply appreciate their commitment to doing what’s right in Montgomery; by protecting parental rights in Alabama, please pick HB6 to be placed on the next Special-Order Calendar.   Below are the House Rules Committee members: Name Phone Email Room Representative LOVVORN, Joe (R) (334) 261-0540 joe.lovvorn@alhouse.gov 519-Q Representative FAULKNER, David (R) (334) 261-0442 David@DavidFaulknerAL46.com 400-D Representative STADTHAGEN, Scott (R) (334) 261-0436 scott.stadthagen@alhouse.gov 401-G Representative SOUTH, Kyle (R) (334) 261-0482 RepSouth16@gmail.com 410-BC Representative KITCHENS, Wes (R) (334) 261-0539 weskitchens@mclo.org 433 Representative WOOD, Randy (R) (334) 261-0552 strep36@gmail.com 417-H Representative SORRELLS, Jeff (R) (334) 261-0542 jeffs@fnbhartford.com 432 Representative PRINGLE, Chirs (R) 334-261-0489 chris.pringle@alhouse.gov 519-G *Representative STRINGER, Shane (R) (334) 261-0594 shane.stringer@alhouse.gov 427-G Representative ALMOND, Cynthia (R) (334) 261-0558 cynthia.almond@alhouse.gov 427-E Representative WOODS, Matt (R) 334-261-0495 matt.woods@alhouse.gov 525-D Representative DANIELS, Anthony (D) (334) 261-0522 anthony.daniels@alhouse.gov 428 Representative WARREN, Pebblin (D) (334) 261-0541 tiger9127@bellsouth.net 517-B Representative BOYD, Barbara (D) (334) 261-0592 barbara.boyd@alhouse.gov 517-F Representative CLARKE, Adline (D) (334) 261-0549 adline.clarke@alhouse.gov 537-A *Co-sponsor We ask for everyone to please take a few moments by calling or emailing the listed members above before 2 pm on Wednesday. Thank you for taking a moment to support Parental Rights in Alabama. Together, we will make a difference and let our voices and concerns be heard in Montgomery.   As a reminder, please always be respectful and courteous with your communications.   Copyright © 2023 Committee to Elect Kenneth Paschal, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Committee to Elect Kenneth Paschal PO Box 1214 Pelham, AL 35124-5214

About Kenneth Paschal

     A proven track record of integrity, commitment, and selfless service to his family, community, state, and country. US Army Veteran of 21 years.  Honorably served and earned the rank of First Sergeant.  Received numerous commendations and leadership awards.  American Legion – Post Commander  Appointed by National Commander to serve on the National Executive Americanism Council.  Alabama Family Rights Association, Governmental Affairs Director.  

     Served 11 years striving to protect the rights of families from excessive government.  Founder of Bridge the Gap (Walk-in Our Shoe's survey).  When mass protests affected our communities I organized the Standing United for Progress Forum, which emphasized peace, respect, dialogue, and understanding in our communities. Mayors, police chiefs, and civic leaders from around the state hailed the campaign a success.  State Director of Child Abuse Awareness/ Bubbles of Love.  Nearly a decade of organizing large statewide events with the goal of protecting our children and families from abuse.

Legislative Affairs

     In-depth knowledge of the legislative process from over a decade of drafting bills, establishing many positive working relationships with Alabama and local political leaders working with them on various legislative and proclamation measures.  An active voice and ambassador within the County

     Shelby County Chambers Governmental Affairs Group member; and Exchange Club of Shelby County Board of Directors.  Committed to Pro-Life, a supporter of Gun Rights, protection of your liberties and freedoms, and strengthening the Republican Party.

 

Archaeology and genomics together with Indigenous knowledge revise the human-horse story in the American West

Horses are an active part of life for the Lakota and many other Plains nations today. Jacquelyn Córdova/Northern Vision Productions

William Taylor, University of Colorado Boulder and Yvette Running Horse Collin, Université de Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier

Few places in the world are more closely linked with horses in the popular imagination than the Great Plains of North America. Romanticized stories of cowboys and the Wild West figure prominently in popular culture, and domestic horses are embedded in everything from place names, like Wild Horse Mesa, to sporting mascots, like the Denver Broncos.

Horses first evolved in the Americas around 4 million years ago. Then horses largely disappeared from the fossil record by about 10,000 years ago. However, archaeological finds from the Yukon to the Gulf Coast make it clear that horses were an important part of ancient lifeways for the early peoples of North America.

Millennia later, horses were reintroduced by European colonists, and eventually the Great Plains became home to powerful Indigenous horse cultures, many of which leveraged their expertise on horseback to maintain sovereignty even amid the rising tides of colonial exploitation, genocide and disease.

But how did horses become part of life on the Great Plains? And are there pieces of that story that may be missing from today’s popular narratives?

One of us is an archaeozoologist who studies ancient animal remains. The other is a Lakota scientist who specializes in ancient horse genomics and is expert in Indigenous oral traditions about horses. Together we created a large team of scientists and scholars from around the world, including those from Pueblo, Pawnee, Comanche and Lakota nations, and set out to see what archaeology, Indigenous knowledge systems and genomics together could tell us about the horse in the American West.

Horses have long been a part of Indigenous cultures in the American West. Ettore Mazza

Complicating the colonial version of the story

Over recent decades, the story of people and horses has largely been told through the lens of colonial history. One reason for this is logistical – European settlers often wrote down their observations, creating documentary records that partially chronicle the early relationships between colonists, Indigenous cultures and horses in the colonial West. Another reason, though, is prejudice: Indigenous peoples in the Americas have been excluded from telling their side of the story.

While historical records are a valuable tool for understanding the past, they also carry with them the biases and cultural context of the people who wrote them. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many such documents tend to minimize or dismiss the interactions between Native people and horses. More importantly, the written record’s scope is limited to those places European colonists visited – which, until the 18th and 19th centuries, excluded much of the Plains and the Rocky Mountains.

Filtering of Indigenous horse cultures through a European framework left narratives unrecognizable to many Indigenous peoples.

Many models for the origins of Indigenous horse use on the Plains focus on one particular date: the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. During this momentous uprising, Pueblo people living under harsh Spanish subjugation organized a rebellion that expelled Spanish colonists from New Mexico for more than a decade. Many historians link the revolt with the first spread of horses beyond the Southwest, because with the Spanish gone, so was their control over their livestock at colonial settlements.

Ancestral Comanche or Shoshone horse and rider image at Tolar in southern Wyoming. Pat Doak

However, other scholars who prioritize and understand Indigenous knowledge and scientific frameworks have questioned these assumptions, pointing out historical inconsistencies and highlighting oral traditions that support a deeper antiquity to the human-horse relationship among many Indigenous nations.

Over recent years, archaeology has emerged as a powerful tool for exploring aspects of the human-horse story that may not have been written down in books. In Mongolia, for example, our analysis of ancient horse bones has shown that steppe cultures herded, rode and cared for horses centuries before their first mention in historical records.

Our first studies in the western U.S. suggested there may be a rich archaeological record of horse remains in the West linked to Native cultures, even if this record was often overlooked or misclassified in museum collections.

Remains of horses provide their own clues

For our new study, published in the journal Science, we looked for horse remains in museum collections across the Western U.S., from Idaho to Kansas. These horses ranged from single, isolated bones to nearly complete horses, with incredible preservation.

Among the dozens of ancient horses we identified, precision radiocarbon dating revealed that several lived in the early 17th century or earlier – decades before the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, and in some areas, at least a century or more before the arrival of the first Europeans.

3D model of a horse cranium and replica rawhide bridle in the Archaeozoology Laboratory at the University of Colorado. William Taylor

We analyzed the ancient horses’ bones and found clues that across the Great Plains these early horses were not just present but already an important part of Indigenous societies. Some horses have skeletal features showing they were ridden or received veterinary care. Other information, like the method of burial or inclusion alongside other animals such as coyotes, shows horses were part of ceremonial practices.

We used isotope analysis to learn more about the ancient diet and movements of these animals by measuring heavier or lighter variants of molecules in their bones and teeth. We found that some of the earliest horses in southwestern Wyoming and northern Kansas were not escapees of Spanish expeditions but were instead raised locally by Native communities.

One baby horse we analyzed that lived in ancestral Comanche country around 1650 at Blacks Fork, Wyoming, was born and died locally – directly contradicting a 1724 European observation that the Comanche obtained horses only by “barter,” and “had not yet been able to raise any colts.” In another case, a horse that also lived in the mid-17th century along the Missouri River was likely fed during the winter with maize, an Indigenous domestic crop.

DNA sequencing of archaeological horses, although revealing Iberian ancestry, shows important connections between ancient horses and those stewarded by present-day communities like the Lakota, for whom horses continue to be a key part of ceremony, tradition and daily life. While future work will be necessary to establish exactly when and how horses reached northern areas of the Plains, our results point to Indigenous networks of trade and exchange – perhaps bringing horses across the Plains and Rockies from Mexico or the American Southwest.

New evidence supports old stories

Our findings also validate oral traditions for many of the Native communities affected by the study.

Graduate student and Lakota archaeologist Chance Ward analyzes horse remains in the Archaeozoology Laboratory at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Samantha Eads

Our study is the result of an intentionally collaborative approach. Our Lakota partners, led by Chief Joe American Horse and one of us (Collin), published an accompanying introduction to the Lakota relationship with horses that helped serve as a foundation for our collaborative work.

Partnering archaeological science and Native perspectives ended up telling a very different story of horses in the American West. Comanche tribal historian and elder Jimmy Arterberry noted, for example, that the archaeological discoveries from ancestrally connected areas of Wyoming “support and concur with Comanche oral tradition” that Comanche ancestors raised and cared for horses before their movement to the southern Plains.

We hope future work will continue to highlight the ancient connections between people and horses, and prompt a rethink of assumptions built into society’s understanding of the past.

William Taylor, Assistant Professor and Curator of Archaeology, University of Colorado Boulder and Yvette Running Horse Collin, Postdoctoral Researcher in Anthropobiology and Genomics, Université de Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

When digital nomads come to town: governments want their cash but locals are being left behind – podcast

Digital nomads: ditch the office chair for a backpack. Jose Luis Carrascosa via Shutterstock

Gemma Ware, The Conversation and Mend Mariwany, The Conversation

Digital nomads who work as they travel are often attracted by a life of freedom far removed from the daily office grind. Many head to cities that have become known hotspots for remote workers. In this episode of The Conversation Weekly, we find out what impact digital nomads have on these cities and the people who live there, and how governments are responding to the phenomenon.

The La Roma and La Condesa districts of Mexico City have become some of the Mexican capital’s favourite destinations for visitors in recent years. There are long boulevards and the streets are lined with leafy trees and dotted with picturesque parks and fountains. Wander into the right coffee shops and here you’ll find some of the city’s digital nomads, logging on to remote jobs elsewhere.

Speaking to The Conversation Weekly, Erica from Finland tells us she was already working remotely before the pandemic. “Mexico is cheaper, it’s great weather,” she says. “So I figured I might as well move here.”

“The pandemic and the normalisation of remote work has certainly given the digital nomad lifestyle some legitimacy,” says Dave Cook, an anthropologist at University College London in the UK. He’s been chronicling digital nomads and their motivations for the past seven years, interviewing people about their motivations.

The pandemic also made governments take notice of digital nomads as an economic benefit to cash-strapped economies, says Fabiola Mancinelli, an anthropologist at the University of Barcelona in Spain who also studies digital nomads. “That’s why many countries started to create special visa programmes to attract this niche of travellers,” she explains. Countries don’t expect digital nomads to participate in local life, says Mancinelli, but rather to consume locally using the higher purchasing power they get from earning in stronger currencies.

In Mexico City, however, the arrival of digital nomads is angering some local residents who are worried about changes to their neighbourhoods and rising rents. Adrián Hernández Cordero, a sociologist at Metropolitan Autonomous University who studies gentrification, distinguishes between tourists and digital nomads. “They seem to me to be in an intermediate position because they don’t come just for a week – they stay for a few months,” he says.

In Mexico City, Cordero says digital nomads are drawn to areas such as La Roma and La Condesa where it’s easy to get around on foot or by public transport, and where there is a proliferation of restaurants and bars. He says that while these areas were already fairly well-off, the middle classes who live there are witnessing a form of “super-gentrification”.

Listen to the full episode to find out more about the different strategies countries are using to attract digital nomads, and what this means for local residents.

This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany, with sound design by Eloise Stevens. Voiceover by Alberto Rodríguez Alvarado. The executive producer was Gemma Ware. Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Read a transcript of this episode.

You can find us on Twitter @TC_Audio, on Instagram at theconversationdotcom or via email. You can also sign up to The Conversation’s free daily email here. Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed, or find out how else to listen here.

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Adrián Hernández Cordero is part of the National System of Researchers of the National Council for Science and Technology of the Government of Mexico. Dave Cook and Fabiola Mancinelli do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Gemma Ware, Editor and Co-Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation and Mend Mariwany, Producer, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Trump indictment won’t keep him from presidential race, but will make his reelection bid much harder

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury. AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Stefanie Lindquist, Arizona State University

A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict former President Donald Trump. The specific state charges, reports The New York Times, “remain a mystery” but will be related to the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation of Trump for making hush money payments to a porn star just before the 2016 presidential election.

It’s the first time a U.S. president or former president has been indicted.

At the same time, Trump is expected to continue his campaign for the presidency, seeking to regain in 2024 the position he lost in 2020 to Joe Biden.

What are the consequences of an indictment and potential trial for his campaign and, if his effort is successful, his future presidency?

Article II of the U.S. Constitution sets forth very explicit qualifications for the presidency: The president must be 35 years of age, a U.S. resident for 14 years and a natural-born citizen.

In cases involving analogous qualifications for members of Congress, the Supreme Court has held that such qualifications form a “constitutional ceiling” – prohibiting any additional qualifications to be imposed by any means.

Thus, because the Constitution does not require that the president be free from indictment, conviction or prison, it follows that a person under indictment or in prison may run for the office and may even serve as president.

This is the prevailing legal standard that would apply to former President Trump. The fact of his indictment and potential trial is irrelevant to his qualifications for office under the Constitution.

Nevertheless, there seems no question that indictment, conviction or both – let alone a prison sentence – would significantly compromise a president’s ability to function in office. And the Constitution doesn’t provide an easy answer to the problem posed by such a compromised chief executive.

Former President Donald Trump, at a campaign event at his Mar-a-Lago home on Nov. 15, 2022, in Palm Beach, Fla., when he announced he was seeking another term in office and officially launched his 2024 presidential campaign. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Governing from jail?

A presidential candidate could be indicted, prosecuted and convicted by either state or federal authorities. Indictment for a state crime may seem less significant than federal charges brought by the Department of Justice.

Ultimately, though, the spectacle of a criminal trial in state or federal court would have a dramatic effect on a presidential campaign and on the credibility of a president, if elected.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proved guilty. But in the case of conviction, incarceration in state or federal prison involves restrictions on liberty that would significantly compromise the president’s ability to lead.

This point – that functioning as president would be difficult while under indictment or after being convicted – was made plain in a 2000 memo written by the Department of Justice. The memo reflected on a 1973 Office of Legal Counsel memo produced during Watergate titled “Amenability of the President, Vice President and other Civil Officers to Federal Criminal Prosecution while in Office.” The background to the 1973 memo was that President Richard Nixon was under investigation for his role in the Watergate break-in and Vice President Spiro Agnew was under grand jury investigation for tax evasion.

These two memos addressed whether a sitting president could, under the Constitution, be indicted while in office. They concluded he could not. But what about a president indicted, convicted, or both, before taking office, as could be the case for Trump?

In evaluating whether a sitting president could be indicted or imprisoned while in office, both the 1973 and 2000 memos outlined the consequences of a pending indictment for the president’s functioning in office. The earlier memo used strong words: “[t]he spectacle of an indicted President still trying to serve as Chief Executive boggles the imagination.”

Even more pointedly, the memos observe that a criminal prosecution against a sitting president could result in “physical interference with the President’s performance of his official duties that it would amount to an incapacitation.”

The memo here refers to the inconvenience of a criminal trial that would significantly detract from the president’s time commitment to his burdensome duties.

But it’s also lawyer’s language to describe a more direct impediment to the president’s ability to govern: He might be in jail.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani arriving at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Ga., on Aug. 17, 2022, to appear before the special grand jury investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election. AP Photo/John Bazemore

Core functions affected

According to the 1973 memo, “the President plays an unparalleled role in the execution of the laws, the conduct of foreign relations, and the defense of the Nation.”

Because these core functions require meetings, communications or consultations with the military, foreign leaders and government officials in the U.S. and abroad in ways that cannot be performed while imprisoned, constitutional law scholar Alexander Bickel remarked in 1973 that “obviously the presidency cannot be conducted from jail.”

Modern presidents are peripatetic: They travel nationally and globally on a constant basis to meet with other national leaders and global organizations. They obviously wouldn’t be able to do these things while in prison. Nor could they inspect the aftermath of natural disasters from coast to coast, celebrate national successes and events or address citizens and groups on issues of the day, at least in person.

Moreover, presidents need access to classified information and briefings. But imprisonment would also obviously compromise a president’s ability to access such information, which must often be stored and viewed in a secure room that has been protected against all manner of spying, including blocking radio waves – not something that’s likely available in a prison.

As a result of the president’s varied duties and obligations, the memos concluded that “[t]he physical confinement of the chief executive following a valid conviction would indisputably preclude the executive branch from performing its constitutionally assigned functions.”

Translation: The president couldn’t do his job.

Running from prison

Yet what to do if citizens actually elect an indicted or incarcerated president?

This is not out of the question. At least one incarcerated presidential candidate, Eugene Debs, garnered almost a million votes out of a total 26.2 million cast in the election of 1920.

One potential response is the 25th Amendment, which enables the president’s Cabinet to declare the president “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”

The two Department of Justice memos note, however, that the framers of the 25th Amendment never considered or mentioned incarceration as a basis for the inability to discharge the powers and duties of the office. They write that replacing the president under the 25th Amendment would “give insufficient weight to the people’s considered choice as to whom they wish to serve as their chief executive.”

All this brings to mind Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes’ admonition about the role of the Supreme Court: “If my fellow citizens want to go to Hell I will help them. It’s my job.”

Holmes’ statement came in a letter reflecting on the Sherman Antitrust Act, which he thought was a foolish law. But Holmes was prepared to accept the popular will expressed through democracy and self-determination.

Perhaps the same reflection is apt here: If the people choose a president hobbled by criminal sanctions, that is a form of self-determination too. And one for which the Constitution has no ready solution.

Stefanie Lindquist, Foundation Professor of Law and Political Science, Arizona State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

4 Ways to Support and Uplift Women Around You

(Family Features) For many women, life is busy and moves at such a fast pace, it might seem to pass them by. Amid the hustle and bustle, it can be easy to forget to slow down to show encouragement and love toward influential women in your life, such as a daughter, neighbor or friend.

Here are a few ways to uplift and celebrate the women around you:

Share Your Time

Busy schedules and day-to-day responsibilities can make it hard for women to find time to nurture their friendships but offering support can be an invaluable way to help others feel grounded and cared for.

Letting the women in your circle know you’re thinking of them is a simple way to celebrate them. Try sending a text to check in, buying a latte or scheduling time to catch up to remind them they have a support system. You can also schedule an activity you know they love, like a cooking class or hike. Letting your friends know you care can make them feel loved and supported.

Share a Self-Care Kit

Whether it’s filled with bath salts and body scrubs for a night of relaxation or treats for a movie night with friends or family, consider putting together a self-care kit. To make it extra special, add something indulgent, such as DOVE Milk Chocolate Molten Lava Caramel PROMISES, treats inspired by rich and decadent molten lava dessert, perfect for enjoying on the go or during a moment of joy at home.

Take Responsibilities Off Their Plates

If friends or loved ones are going through a particularly busy time, consider lending a helping hand to lighten their load. Bring dinner, propose a playdate to provide free time or offer to help with some tasks if they seem overworked. Helping friends accomplish their goals allows them to feel supported, and many appreciate a check in to let them know you’re there for them.

Show Them You’re an Advocate

To show support for the ladies in your life, consider using your voice to uplift individuals and advocate for equality. Participating in a mentorship program, nominating loved ones for awards and grants to help them meet their goals and celebrating their wins are all helpful ways to advocate for the ladies in your life and the broader community.

 

Photos courtesy of Adobe Stock

 

SOURCE:
Dove Chocolate

Restaurant Evolution: How restaurants evolve to meet changing customer needs

In the highly competitive restaurant industry, it’s crucial to continually evolve and transform in order to stay relevant and attract customers. Restaurant transformation involves re-evaluating the image, menu, ambiance and overall experience. It’s a process that can be challenging, but when done successfully, it can lead to increased customer loyalty, improved sales and long-term growth.

Take for example Fogo de Chão, which has practiced the authentic, centuries-old Brazilian grilling practice of churrasco, or cooking over an open flame, since 1979 at more than 70 locations around the world. Each meal is about discovery with a menu that’s fresh, unique, innovative and centered around premium cuts of grilled proteins, expertly butchered and simply seasoned using the culinary art of churrasco.

The full churrasco experience includes continual service of fire-roasted meats carved tableside, including house specialties like picanha (signature sirloin), filet mignon, ribeye, fraldinha (bottom sirloin), cordeiro (lamb) and more.

Consumers are always looking for new and exciting dining experiences, and a menu refresh can provide it. This can involve adding new dishes, changing the way existing dishes are prepared or presented and incorporating current food trends. For example, many restaurants are offering more vegetarian and vegan options to cater to the growing number of consumers adopting plant-based diets.

Leaning into this trend, Fogo de Chão is expanding its menu and Market Table offerings with new plant-based and nutrient-dense dishes, alongside an expanded Bar Fogo beverage program complete with traditional and clean, zero-proof cocktails. The plant-based offerings include menu innovations like Seared Tofu with Miso Black Bean Pasta and a hearty Roasted Power Vegetable Bowl that complements a myriad of dietary lifestyles. Taking it a step further, guests can enjoy indulgent, premium cuts within the churrasco experience at no additional cost. This added value introduces guests to new flavors in a low-risk setting by including a variety of options like bone-in ribeye, double-cut pork chop and lamb picanha.

Another important aspect of transformation is redesigning the restaurant’s physical space. A restaurant’s ambiance can greatly impact customers’ dining experiences, and a refreshed decor can help to create a more modern, welcoming and comfortable environment. With new locations opening in markets coast-to-coast, the experiential dining experts are revamping interiors to create unique and architecturally led dining spaces that create a memorable hospitality experience. The additions of lounge and conversational seating for more comfortable dining, large patio spaces for al fresco dining and open kitchens help immerse guests in the experience, which appeals to the modern diner.

In addition to these changes, restaurants may also need to re-evaluate and adjust marketing strategies as their customer bases change. This may involve shifting branding to appeal to a younger demographic, for example, or focusing on a specific type of cuisine or dining experience. Designed to enhance the guest experience and move beyond just a sit-down dinner, the churrasco experience at Fogo de Chão appeals to a younger, highly diverse audience with 87% of guests being Millennial, Gen X and Gen Z customers, 41% of whom are female.

Options like Bar Fogo, which features All-Day Happy Hour; shareable Brazilian-inspired bar bites such as Lobster and Shrimp Tacos and Queijo Assado, a grilled Brazilian cheese served with malagueta honey; South American-inspired cocktails, beers and wine; or The Butchery, where premium cuts of meats, carved in the traditional Brazilian style, can be taken to go for cooking at home, allow for new ways to experience the traditional cuisine.

“Nearly 45 years ago, Fogo was created on the strong foundation of authentic Brazilian hospitality and delivering unique experiences to our guests,” said Barry McGowan, CEO of Fogo de Chão. “Today, we’ve evolved from a small restaurant in the countryside of southern Brazil to a global category leader celebrating the culinary art of churrasco. Restaurant transformation is necessary to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced and evolving industry. All of our transformation efforts continue to be rooted in innovation to enhance the guest experience while remaining true to our Brazilian heritage.”

Learn more and find a local restaurant near you at fogo.com.

 

SOURCE:
Fogo de Chão