Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D. In 1968, the incumbent president Lyndon B. Johnson seemed a shoo-in as the Democratic candidate for president. Even with falling approval ratings, he was strong enough to keep a tight grip on his party -- or so he thought. As formidable as Johnson was, there was one name he … Continue reading With Robert Kennedy Jr., it’s ‘like father, like son’ →

Southwest Ledger By News Staff on Monday, August 14, 2023 By James Finck, Ph. D. Once again news coverage is swamped with allegations of Trump’s criminal activities.  This time he is accused of trying to overthrow the last election and retain power. If true, then it is a serious attack on the very fabric of our democracy. … Continue reading Box 13 and Fraudulent Elections →

From Southwest Ledger An incident happened last month at Stanford University that has unfortunately become all too common across college campuses. This particular incident occurred when Judge Kyle Duncan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit was invited to speak to law students.  Instead of allowing him to give his remarks, other … Continue reading Free Speech Movement →

From Southwest Ledger In December 2022, outgoing Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor dropped a bombshell opinion that, if upheld by the courts, has the potential to change education forever.  He wrote his opinion at the request of the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board who asked if the restrictions against religious organizations sponsoring charter schools remained … Continue reading Questions about Religious Charter Schools →

From Southwest Ledger A few weeks ago saw the indictment and guilty plea of Hunter Biden, son of President Joseph Biden, on two counts of misdemeanor tax evasion. While these were the first crimes the younger Biden has been charged with, they are far from the only ones to which he has been linked.  Republicans … Continue reading Problematic Presidential Children →

This semester as I am teaching a class on the Cold War, it seems as if the major comparison we are discussing is the war in Ukraine. I am grateful this war is still on students’ minds, as often with tragedies like Ukraine there is a great deal of emotion at first that wanes over … Continue reading New Cold War →

For a couple of years scientists were trying to convince FDR of the need to work on an atomic bomb. FDR and his scientists did not think it possible and so deemed it not necessary for funding. Finally in 1939 Albert Einstein sent a letter, hoping his name would lend some weight, which it did. … Continue reading Class Notes →

Twitter has been an ongoing story since the Trump presidency and ramped up even more when Twitter suspended Trump’s account after the events of Jan 6, 2021. Many felt Twitter was wrong in suspending Trump’s account, citing free speech. Of course, Twitter is not the only social media platform that has come under attack for … Continue reading First Amendment and Twitter →

For only the second time in 57 years, A Charlie Brown Christmas - the most beloved of all animated Christmas specials - will not air on network television. This groundbreaking special forever changed how networks treated all specials and introduced new and lasting songs, as well as Christmas icons. Historically speaking, however, this special was … Continue reading “Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about” →

This is an article I was asked to write for the Southwest Ledger A history of Oklahoma taxation By Dr. James W. FinckUniversity of Science and Arts of Oklahoma There is nothing more American than taxes. They have been with us since our founding and are part of the reason for our separation from Great … Continue reading A history of Oklahoma taxation →