The U.S. branch of the Jesuits Roman Catholic order pledges to raise $100 million within five years for racial justice and healing. That's a good start but admittedly far short of the $1 billion goal to help compensate the descendants of men, women and children enslaved and sold by Jesuit institutions.

A new nonprofit, the Descendants Truth and Reconciliation Foundation, got a jumpstart with a $15 million infusion from the Jesuits. Thousands of people are among descendants of 272 enslaved people sold to Louisiana plantations in 1838 by the Jesuits. Proceeds from that sale financed the founding of Georgetown University in the District of Columbia.

The foundation's acting president, Joe Stewart, is a descendant of a Jesuit slave, Isaac Hawkins. He told Bogan by telephone that the idea isn't to continue the pattern of "shame and blame and conflict and hate" but rather to "focus on initiatives that transform." It's never too late for a national truth and reconciliation process to begin.

Roster of Shame

Who could possibly oppose giving Congressional Gold Medals to police who stood up to the Jan. 6 insurrectionists, protecting the lives of members of Congress? Twelve of those very Republican members, that's who. They voted against the resolution Wednesday, which singled out multiple officers, including Capitol officer Brian Sicknick, who died after rioters sprayed him with a chemical agent (see below).

What possible problem could the lawmakers have with a resolution recognizing the officers' heroism? Generally, they object to the word "insurrectionists." Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert claimed the text "seeks to drive a narrative that isn't substantiated by known facts."

Which is nonsense. Others on the roster of shame are Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Andy Harris of Maryland, Texans Lance Gooden and Michael Cloud, Matt Gaetz and Greg Steube of Florida, Georgians Marjorie Taylor Greene and Andrew S. Clyde, Bob Good of Virginia and John Rose of Tennessee.

Attack Police, Promote Sandwich Shop

One of the two men arrested in connection with the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick in the Jan. 6 insurrection was nabbed in large part because of a key oversight on his part: He wore clothing with his own company's insignia emblazoned on it. The two men, Julian Elie Khater, of Pennsylvania, and George Pierre Tanios, of West Virginia, were recorded on video discussing the use of bear spray just before an attack on officers guarding the Capitol perimeter.

Investigators went through the video, along with others, frame by frame in an effort to piece together participants' discussions and find any other markers that could help track down the attackers who contributed to Sicknick's death. That's how they found the clues leading them to Khater and Tanios.

Tanios owns a sandwich shop in Morgantown, West Virginia, where he touts himself as the "king of the fat sandwich." His store's logo was identifiable in one video, and when investigators tracked it back, he and Khater can be heard discussing "that bear [expletive]," after which Tanios replies, "Hold on, hold on, not yet, not yet. ... It's still early." Minutes later, Khater is seen on video discharging a canister of spray into Sicknick's face. Sicknick died the following day.

Whether their attack on Sicknick caused his death has yet to be proven. But for anyone attacking a police officer, wearing one's own company logo seems a surefire way to get caught.

Saluting Stupidity

After Fox News host and resident misogynist Tucker Carlson babbled about female soldiers making a "mockery" of the U.S. military, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a war veteran who lost her legs in Iraq, responded appropriately — with an F-bomb salute. Carlson recently ranted that while China's military is becoming "more masculine," female soldiers are making the U.S. military "more feminine — whatever feminine means anymore, since men and women no longer exist." He also railed about military uniforms designed for pregnant soldiers.

Duckworth opted not to mince words, directing a laser-guided F-bomb tweet right at Carlson. Referencing an old video of Carlson on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," she added: "While he was practicing his two-step, America's female warriors were hunting down Al Qaeda and proving the strength of America's women."

Carlson's rant conveniently omitted any reference to heroic women warriors like Duckworth, who lost her legs while serving in Iraq in 2004 as an Army helicopter pilot when her chopper was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade.

Carlson has never served a day in uniform.

REPRINTED FROM THE ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

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