The relatives will be here soon, and you have almost all of the Christmas meal planning done, but you realize that you forgot the cranberry sauce and need to make a grocery run. At the store, you see a familiar sight: the cheerful face of a person donning a red apron, ringing a bell, asking for donations to the Salvation Army kettle. Feeling particularly generous, you drop a few dollars in the kettle, exchange a “Merry Christmas,” and head for the cranberries.

A few days later, you get a call from a man who says he’s the attorney general. He asks you about your donation and whether you were aware that you had given to a religious organization. He says he wants to keep in touch for “consumer safety.”

If you had to go through this intrusive inquiry, how inclined would you feel to drop a few more dollars into the kettle the next time you’re at the grocery store? How much less inclined would you feel if you knew the attorney general had a beef with the Salvation Army?

CLARENCE THOMAS QUESTIONS BASIS FOR NEW JERSEY SUBPOENA OF PREGNANCY CENTER DONORS