From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.d., May 26, 2026 If you are like me, then you may have been surprised last week when the United States indicted Raul Castro on one count of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, four counts of murder, and two counts of destruction of aircraft. Let me be clear: … Continue reading U.S. Delivers Long-Delayed Justice for Brothers to the Rescue
Category: Historically Speaking
The trip to China that changed the Cold
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. May 24, 2026 Two weeks ago, President Donald Trump made a second trip to People’s Republic of China. These visits still seem historic, as Trump is only the eighth American president to visit a country that for so long isolated itself from the world. While the success … Continue reading The trip to China that changed the Cold
‘Shucked’ performance scores an easy A
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. 23 hrs ago If you saw me during my senior year of high school, you probably would not have been surprised to learn that I played defensive end for my high school football team. I was 6 feet tall, weighed 250 pounds, spent a good deal of … Continue reading ‘Shucked’ performance scores an easy A
Looking back at ‘The Clash of Civilizations’
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. May 19, 2026 Last month I wrote an article that looked back at two of the most important foreign relations concepts of the 1990s with the idea of evaluating them in the present to see what, if anything, from those theories proved true. That article mainly focused … Continue reading Looking back at ‘The Clash of Civilizations’
A proposal for the 28th Amendment to our Constitution
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. May 17, 2026 As the biggest headlines in the news continues to be political gerrymandering, I have decided the best solution is a new constitutional amendment. While Congress will doubtfully support it, it may be the only solution that the majority can get behind. My proposed 28th … Continue reading A proposal for the 28th Amendment to our Constitution
Our nation’s path to Louisiana v. Callais
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. May 10, 2026 So far this year gerrymandering has been one of the dominant stories, as both sides do everything within their power to secure more of their party’s members in Congress in the midterms. I already have written about the Virginia election that enabled the state … Continue reading Our nation’s path to Louisiana v. Callais
Constitution 101: Commerce Clause, Part II
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. May 5, 2026 Last month I wrote that while Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of our Constitution, known as the Commerce Clause, is one of the shortest clauses, its impact is much more prevalent than most. It is so important and has been adjudicated so often … Continue reading Constitution 101: Commerce Clause, Part II
Presidential assassination attempts underscore need for national security
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. May 3, 2026 On April 25, while President Trump hosted his first White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a lone gunman attempted to breach security at the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., with the apparent intention of killing the president and other high-ranking officials. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, … Continue reading Presidential assassination attempts underscore need for national security
Cases that tie gerrymandering to SPLC silence american voices
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. As I was working on this week’s article, I realized that I could possibly combine the two biggest stories of the week by looking at one Supreme Court case: Sims v. Amos (1974). Sims v. Amos was a case about gerrymandering in voting districts in Alabama. For … Continue reading Cases that tie gerrymandering to SPLC silence american voices
Revisiting the end of History
From Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. Historically, the 1990s stand out as a fascinating decade, the one immediately following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. For generations, political theorists had grown up in a world where “containment” defined foreign policy and shaped global strategy. With that structure … Continue reading Revisiting the end of History
