\u27Til Death Do Us Part: The Difficulties of Obtaining a Same-Sex Divorce

This Article explores a problem faced by many wedded same-sex couples: the difficulty in obtaining a divorce. Suppose two men from Pennsylvania travel to Massachusetts to obtain a marriage license and return to Pennsylvania shortly thereafter. If their marriage breaks down, the couple will be unable to divorce in the state because Pennsylvania refuses to recognize the marriage for any purpose. Moreover, due to Massachusetts’ residency requirement, the couple cannot simply travel back to Massachusetts to divorce. Because this problem is in part encouraged by state mini-DOMAs, and the Supreme Court has the opportunity to rule on DOMA’s constitutionality, this Article will also explore the various rationales for holding DOMA unconstitutional, how each affects mini-DOMAs, and thus same-sex divorce. If mini-DOMAs are permitted to stand, this Article urges that all States be required to recognize same-sex marriage at least for the limited purpose of granting divorce so that married same-sex couples will no longer find themselves “wedlocked.

G.L. v. Stangler: A Case Study in Court-Ordered Child Welfare Reform

This paper is the product of an unusual collaboration, in terms of both people and process. Data for this study was gathered through interviews conducted during the Fall of 1994 and Spring of 1995.\u27 It was conceived by the Center for the Study of Social Policy ( CSSP ), whose expertise in human services management and financing has often been called upon in class action lawsuits against child welfare agencies across the country. CSSP has served as a plaintiffs expert, court-appointed neutral expert, court-appointed monitor, and neutral settlement facilitator in seven cases, and its experiences differed considerably in each case and role. One observation, however, held constant across all of them: the later in the litigation\u27s life cycle that substantive expertise of the sort CSSP provided was called in, the greater the likelihood that protracted adversarial combat had already done substantial damage to the very agency that the lawsuit had set out to reform

Requiem: Variations on Eighteenth-Century Themes

In eleven provocative essays Forrest McDonald and his wife, Ellen Shapiro McDonald, cover a wide range of the intellectual, political, military, and social history of the eighteenth century to present both a picture of the age in which our Constitution was crafted and commentary on developments that have caused American government to stray from the Founders’ principles. Appearing here in print for the first time is Forrest McDonald’s widely acclaimed 1987 NEH Jefferson lecture, “The Intellectual World of the Founding Fathers.” In other essays the McDonalds examine such topics as the writing of the Constitution, the central role of such little-known Founders as John Dickinson (“the most underrated of all the Founders”), and the constitutional principles of Alexander Hamilton. Also presented is an exploration of the ritualistic aspects of eighteenth-century warfare and an analysis of Shays’ Rebellion as a tax revolt. In chapters focusing on the separation of powers, the political economy, and the death of federalism, the McDonalds argue the urgent need to “return to limited government under law.” Description Forrest McDonald (1927–2016) was professor of history at the University of Alabama for more than twenty-five years. He is the author or coauthor of fourteen books, including Novus OrdoSeclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in history. Joining him formally as coauthor is his wife and longtime intellectual partner, Ellen Shapiro McDonald. Though she worked with her husband on all of his publications, she chose to only be formally credited as coauthor on this project and as coeditor of Confederation and Constitution, 1781–1789. This Kansas Open Books title is funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Humanities Open Book Program.https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/kansas_open_books/1043/thumbnail.jp

Foliar Micronutrient Application for High-Yield Maize

Nebraska soils are generally micronutrient sufficient. However, critical levels for current yields have not been validated. From 2013 to 2015, 26 on-farm paired comparison strip-trials were conducted across Nebraska to test the effect of foliar-applied micronutrients on maize (Zea mays L.) yield and foliar nutrient concentrations. Treatments were applied from V6 to V14 at sites with 10.9 to 16.4 Mg ha−1 yield. Soils ranged from silty clays to fine sands. Soil micronutrient availability and tissue concentrations were all above critical levels for deficiency. Significant grain yield increases were few. Micronutrient concentrations for leaf growth that occurred after foliar applications were increased 4 to 9 mg Zn kg−1 at 5 of 17 sites with application of 87 to 119 g Zn ha−1, 12 to 16 mg kg−1 Mn at 2 of 17 sites with application of 87 to 89 g Mn ha−1, and an average of 8.1 mg kg−1 Fe across 10 sites showing signs of Fe deficiency with application of 123 g foliar Fe ha-1. Foliar B concentration was not affected by B application. Increases in nutrient concentrations were not related to grain yield responses except for Mn (r = 0.54). The mean, significant grain yield response to 123 g foliar Fe ha−1 was 0.4 Mg ha−1 for the 10 sites with Fe deficiency symptoms. On average, maize yield response to foliar Fe application can be profitable if Fe deficiency symptoms are observed. Response to other foliar micronutrient applications is not likely to be profitable without solid evidence of a nutrient deficiency

Out of the Mouths of Babes: Developmental Differences in Young Children\u27s Microaggressions and Relations with Parent-Child Discussions

Throughout their development, transracial adoptees (TRAs) must navigate visible differences from their adoptive family, which frequently prompt public comment (Wegar, 2000). Even in the absence of family, TRAs experience questions and comments from peers about their difference (Vashchenko et al, 2012). Whether from strangers or peers, well-meaning or intentional, these comments may reflect microaggressions—daily verbal, behavioral or environmental messages, intentional or unintentional that communicate hostile or negative slights and insults (Sue et al, 2007). With ongoing exposure to racial or adoption microaggressions (Baden, 2016), young children may internalize messages that they have heard, and repeat the themes without full awareness of the impact of the messages. Yet, as children grow and become more cognitively sophisticated, they are better able to understand negative messages they hear and may refrain from conveying microaggressions. Little is known about whether there are developmental differences in microaggressions that children convey. As encouraged by adoption professionals, parents may engage in discussions with TRAs in order to promote children’s understanding of their adoptive and racial status and identity development. These discussions, a component of adoption socialization (AS) and cultural socialization (CS), may enhance identity and inoculate children against internalization of microaggressions. Hence, TRAs who have these discussions may convey fewer microaggressions. Parents may have other discussions with TRAs in order to empower them to deal with stigma and microaggressions they will face (preparation for bias; PfB; Hughes et al., 2006). Nothing is known about these three types of parent-child discussions and their relations with microaggressions conveyed by TRAs. This exploratory study will examine: 1) what types of adoption and racial microaggressions are conveyed by young children?; 2) are there developmental differences in the microaggressions conveyed?; and 3) to what extent are parent-child AS, CS or PfB discussions related to the number of microaggressions conveyed by children? Forty parents and their children ages 5-10 adopted from China comprise the sample. Using a qualitative coding procedure, committed (or conveyed) microaggressions were coded when children’s discourse contained bias. Empowering discussions were coded when in response to microaggressions parents helped children develop coping strategies or provided information/explanations about biases. Parent-child discussions about AS and CS were coded from parent interviews, using a three-level coding system (often, occasionally, rarely/never) to code the frequency of race and adoption discussions. Preliminary analyses of 18 families showed: children conveyed 1 to 6 microaggressions (μ=3). Parent-child empowering discussions ranged from 0 to 4 (μ=1). Parent-child discussions about race ranged from 0-2 (μ=1); discussions about adoption ranged from 0-2 (μ=1.6). Age was moderately related (trend) to the number of child-conveyed microaggressions (r= -.41): older children conveyed fewer microaggresions. Parent-child empowering discussions were moderately correlated with children’s microaggressions (r= -.35): children who had more empowering discussions conveyed fewer microaggressions. Parent-child discussions about AS (-.19) and CS (.04) showed modest or no relation to children’s microaggressions, respectively. Further analyses with the full sample of 40 will examine these relations and whether parent-child discussions moderate possible age differences