From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. Back in July, I wrote a column about the Declaration of Independence in which I praised the document while also arguing that, in many ways, it was worthless. Its ideas were revolutionary, but words alone did little to secure American independence. To accomplish that, the colonists would … Continue reading America 250: The Battle of Long Island
Tag: history
Historical Travels: Beaver Lake, Utah
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. Before my semester begins next week, I was able to fit in one more trip out west to attend my nephew’s wedding. Most of the family festivities took place in Provo and St. George, Utah, but, as I always do, I looked for interesting historical sites to … Continue reading Historical Travels: Beaver Lake, Utah
Historic Travels: Pierre’s Hole, Idaho
From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.d. One of my favorite periods in history is the golden age of the mountain man. It’s what I want to be when I grow up, but I’m afraid my wife won’t let me. Being one of my favorite subjects, I have visited the sites of some of … Continue reading Historic Travels: Pierre’s Hole, Idaho
Constitution 101: The Coinage Clause
From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.d. on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 In a 2023 Saturday Night Live sketch, George Washington, played by comedian Nate Bargatze, tries to motivate his troops during a desperate moment in the Revolutionary War. Washington told them they were fighting for a country of their own, a nation where … Continue reading Constitution 101: The Coinage Clause
1856 election demonstrates strengths, weaknesses of our democracy
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. Jul 28, 2026 On July 16, President Donald Trump addressed the nation to push the SAVE America Act and make our elections safe. In his speech, Trump did not repeat his claim that he won the 2020 election, but he did declassify documents showing Chinese influence in … Continue reading 1856 election demonstrates strengths, weaknesses of our democracy
Charity, refugees & our Constitution
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. Immigration has become one of the hottest topics of debate in our country, especially as we have accepted refugees from several war-torn nations. Part of this debate centers on how to fund refugees who often arrive with very little to their name and are in need of … Continue reading Charity, refugees & our Constitution
Removing a Senator
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. Jul 19, 2026 Two important stories from last week were the hospitalization of U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell and the death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. While both events are serious and sorrowful, what is interesting from the perspective of this column is how our Constitution addresses each … Continue reading Removing a Senator
Wolford v. Lopez rightly arms permit holders, business owners
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. Jul 12, 2026 Last week, I wrote about the birthright citizenship case, one of several major Supreme Court decisions handed down over the past few weeks. Today, I want to look at what is probably the second most controversial decision, and one surrounded by a great deal … Continue reading Wolford v. Lopez rightly arms permit holders, business owners
Constitution 101: Bankruptcy Clause
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. It is interesting that our Founders combined naturalization and bankruptcy into a single clause in the Constitution but they did so because with both issues they needed to move away from 13 different laws and create a nationally agreed upon set up rules. Article I, Section VIII, … Continue reading Constitution 101: Bankruptcy Clause
The Supreme Court should be above politics
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. Jul 5, 2026 The last couple of weeks have been important ones for the Supreme Court as it has released several of its more important and controversial decisions. While I am going to discuss some of these cases in the near future, I first want to say … Continue reading The Supreme Court should be above politics
Historically Speaking 