Category: Historically Speaking

Finding the Spirit of Christmas, One Song at a Time

From the Southwest Ledger This Christmas, one of the things I’m most grateful for is technology. As a fan of Christmas music, I love being able to create a playlist filled with all my favorite songs. Over the years, my wife and I have collected a pretty good assortment of CDs, but in the car, … Continue reading Finding the Spirit of Christmas, One Song at a Time →

The Bible, the Classroom, and the Boundaries of Scholarly Evidence

From the Southwest Ledger As the story of a University of Oklahoma student receiving a zero on an assignment for citing the Bible has become a major national headline, I wanted to weigh in as both a Christian and a professor. Let me say upfront that I have not read the student’s response, seen the … Continue reading The Bible, the Classroom, and the Boundaries of Scholarly Evidence →

From Schenck to today: When political rhetoric edges toward dangerous lines

As a Civil War historian, I’m often asked how close we are to repeating 1860. My answer has always been that we aren’t there yet, but we are edging closer to the 1850s. A recent example of this rising partisanship came last month when six Democrats released a video urging U.S. troops to refuse presidential … Continue reading From Schenck to today: When political rhetoric edges toward dangerous lines →

When Mocking Has No Consequences

From Southwest Ledger There has been a lot of discussion lately about shows like “South Park” and whether they push their content too far. This year especially, the show has faced intense scrutiny. Just a month after they aired an episode mocking Charlie Kirk, he was assassinated. On top of that, the current storyline involving … Continue reading When Mocking Has No Consequences →

Constitution 101: The Ineligibility and Incompatibility Clauses

From Southwest Ledger When the American colonies first clashed with Britain over taxation, much of their frustration focused on Charles Townshend and later Frederick North. Both men served simultaneously as members of Parliament and as Chancellor of the Exchequer. In American terms, this would be like someone serving as a senator while also acting as … Continue reading Constitution 101: The Ineligibility and Incompatibility Clauses →

The cost of misusing history in our political debates

From the Southwest Ledger I had an interesting experience in class last week; one I hope won’t get me in too much trouble. As the semester is winding down, one of my classes was giving presentations on their research projects. Two students happened to present on Nazis. Both did an excellent job; their work was … Continue reading The cost of misusing history in our political debates →

From Bob Wills to Blake Shelton: Oklahoma’s mark on the first 100 years of the Grand Ole Opry

From Southwest Ledger During the dark days of the Great Depression, one essential piece of technology was the radio. After long hours of trying to put food on the table, families gathered around the radio to listen to news, FDR’s Fireside Chats, radio programs and most importantly, music. With the depression, buying records was difficult … Continue reading From Bob Wills to Blake Shelton: Oklahoma’s mark on the first 100 years of the Grand Ole Opry →

If college football won’t settle it on the field, maybe the courts should

From the Lawton Constitution James Finck Ph.D. Normally I don’t think government and sports should mix, but in the current college playoff system, including mostly public schools, it may be time. College football has always been controversial in the way it chooses its national champion. Because teams don’t all play each other it has depended … Continue reading If college football won’t settle it on the field, maybe the courts should →

The Story Behind the Stories: Unlocking Western Literature and History

From Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D.One of my all-time favorite movies, “Hoosiers,” is a perfect example of a David and Goliath movie where a small-town basketball team in Indiana makes it all the way to the 1954 State Championship to take on a big-city team. As the team is getting ready to leave the … Continue reading The Story Behind the Stories: Unlocking Western Literature and History →