Kerby Anderson
When I first mentioned that banks were urged to flag purchases of Bibles and religious material, I think most of my friends and listeners thought I was making this up. I wish I were. For anyone still skeptical, you merely need to read a few articles or tweets to see what is now being investigated.
Representative Jim Jordan is the chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. Two weeks ago, he sent a letter to the former director of the Treasury’s Division of Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
His subcommittee has obtained documents asking financial institutions to look for persons of interest. These materials included a document suggesting that banks look for terms like “TRUMP” and “MAGA” or other indicators of extremism. They were to flag transportation and the “purchase of books (including religious texts) and subscriptions to other media containing extremist views.”
The subcommittee also discovered that certain federal law enforcement agencies also were looking for data on transactions at sporting goods stores like Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shop.
In a recent tweet, Jim Jordan wrote, “We now know the federal government flagged terms like ‘MAGA’ and ‘TRUMP’ to financial institutions if Americans completed transactions using those terms.” He then added, “What was also flagged? If you bought a religious text, like a BIBLE, or shopped at Bass Pro Shop.”
I have been joking that I might be in trouble since this last year I purchased a Bible in a bookstore and bought a sleeping bag at Cabela’s. The typical response is this investigation is merely limited to investigating people at the January 6 riot. But if you look at the documents, “no specific time frame, frames, or limitations” are listed. That’s why this investigation needs to continue.

Kerby Anderson
Most Americans believe we should have a color-blind society. That was the direction the country was moving until a few anti-color-blind advocates promoted antiracism and critical race theory.
Professor Andre Archie has written about The Virtue of Color-Blindness. He reminds us that the Declaration and the Constitution rest upon the idea that all are created equal. That includes all Americans, regardless of race. In the 1850s, the Frederick Douglass wing of the abolition movement made their case for a color-blind reading of America’s founding documents.
Today there are advocates that highlight racial and cultural differences, which divide this country further. Andre Archie argues that this type of alienation has its roots in a hatred of this country. He uses a term coined by Roger Scruton that illustrates this alienation. It is oikophobia, which is a combination of two Greek words: oikos means home and phobia means fear.
People who suffer from this hate their host country. This attitude has been facilitated by the Left and by these so-called antiracists. The success of a white person is due to systemic racism. And the lack of achievement by a black person is due to discrimination and systemic racism. He explains that this view stokes racial consciousness and thus, resentment.
He also is surprised that his fellow African Americans aren’t more confident. They are some of the oldest Americans. They had a cultural presence in America since its colonial period and should feel proud and patriotic.
His book reminds us of the foundational principles of this republic and illustrates why we need to return to them.