Are the Feds targeting Catholics?

In 2018 Brian C. Buescher was nominated to the U.S. District Court for Nebraska. Buescher is a member of the Catholic men’s society called The Knights of Columbus. He was attacked for this by Senators Hirono and (now VP) Kamala Harris. They disliked the Knights of Columbus’ views on same sex marriage and abortion — views which are simply faithful to Catholic teaching.

Then this week it is reported in this article that a secret intelligence memo to the FBI recommends surveillance on traditionalist Catholics because some of their number may have anti-Semitic, racist or anti-LGBTQ opinions. If this is true, the implications are truly frightening not only for traditionalist Catholics, but for all Americans.

It may well be true that there are some individuals within the traditionalist Catholic community that hold racist, anti-Semitic or anti-LGBTQ attitudes, but this could be said of any group of Americans. Individual opinions are not against the law, and whole groups should never be in suspicion because of the personal opinions of particular individuals — no matter how odious those opinions are.