Category: Historically Speaking

The Battles of Lexington, Concord Were Fought For Rights, Not Independence

From Southwest Ledger As we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of our great nation, it is important to remember the events in 1775 that led to its birth. Studying these events help us understand the reasons colonists revolted. Last month, as we commemorated the anniversary of the first battles of the American Revolution … Continue reading The Battles of Lexington, Concord Were Fought For Rights, Not Independence →

Discrediting Misinformation Concerning Our Nation’s Historic Tariffs

From Southwest Ledger There is a popular meme going around the internet. The caption to the picture reads, “We’ve done this mass tariff thing 3 times in American history. 1828, 1930, 2025. All spaced about a 100 years apart because everyone who remembers the last one needs to be dead for the next one to … Continue reading Discrediting Misinformation Concerning Our Nation’s Historic Tariffs →

Tariffs May Support America, But At What Cost?

From Southwest Ledger There are many like me who may be a bit confused about tariffs. In theory, tariffs, taxes on imported goods, seem like something I would support. After all, if nothing else, I am pro-America. And anything that gives Americans a leg up, I support. Now, if we can send aid to others, … Continue reading Tariffs May Support America, But At What Cost? →

To What Degree Should Judicial Review Extend to the Executive Branch?

From Southwest Ledger So far in President Trump’s short second term his greatest adversary has been the judicial branch. Some of his programs have been blocked by federal judges while others already have been overturned. This is nothing new. No matter which party the president has been there always seems to be a judge somewhere … Continue reading To What Degree Should Judicial Review Extend to the Executive Branch? →

Constitution 101: Senate Impeachment Clause

From Southwest Ledger A primary goal of the Founders was to protect the people from a strong federal government. They accomplished this with a series of checks and balances where all three branches received relatively equal strength and gave each branch the ability to check each other’s powers. As an additional check on the power … Continue reading Constitution 101: Senate Impeachment Clause →

Reviewing Tony Horwitz’s ‘Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War’

From Southwest Ledger Possibly the most misunderstood and controversial character of the Civil War is John Brown. As a child growing up in Virginia, I was taught that Brown was the enemy; a religious fanatic who was bent on violence to stop Virginia’s way of life by any means necessary. It was almost the same … Continue reading Reviewing Tony Horwitz’s ‘Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War’ →

Will America’s Foreign Policy Remain Cyclical Under Trump 2.0?

From Southwest Ledger Possibly the biggest story of the past week is our involvement with Ukraine. Most Americans’ opinion of President Trump’s handling of the situation probably has as much to do with their opinion of foreign assistance as it does with the way Trump handled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In weighing in on this … Continue reading Will America’s Foreign Policy Remain Cyclical Under Trump 2.0? →