April 25 Morning Edition

ABC7
— Citywide cloth mask drive begins Saturday in Chicago with new statewide mask requirements on the way – Jesse Kirsch
https://abc7chicago.com/community-events/citywide-cloth-mask-drive-begins-saturday-in-chicago/6128775/
— Downstate Illinois lawmaker Darren Bailey sues Gov. Pritzker for stay-at-home order during COVID-19 pandemic – AP
https://abc7chicago.com/politics/downstate-ill-rep-sues-pritzker-for-stay-at-home-order/6128901/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— One case? Or 38? Pandemic exposes inconsistent, incomplete data on COVID-19 cases in Illinois – Joe Mahr
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-missing-inaccurate-data-20200425-7d7a3mzf4vgundc5jgzeaznfay-story.html
— Chicagoans cope with another month at home: closing a pancake house, missing students and setting up routines – STEVE JOHNSON, ALICE YIN, DEANESE WILLIAMS-HARRIS, PETER NICKEAS and STACY ST. CLAIR
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-corona-stay-at-home-illinois-extended-20200425-6fgetwbgczabjoyk4d3c6oheni-story.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater says “Injections of bleach and beams of sunlight to cure the coronavirus? President Trump is self-destructing.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/ct-nyt-column-trump-self-destruction-20200424-hdct6ttgrjcdtec5nxdvueg6ou-story.html
— Domestic-related incidents in Naperville up 17% in first month of COVID-19 lockdown, police say – SUZANNE BAKER
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-naperville-domestic-calls-rise-st-0426-20200424-f2fnavb3fzgn7ieykbl67g362a-story.html

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— Illinois lawmaker sues Governor Pritzker for extension of stay-at-home order
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/677725

WBBM NEWS RADIO
— DuPage County Judge Working To Prevent Spike In Eviction Cases
https://omny.fm/shows/wbbmam-on-demand/dupage-county-judge-working-to-prevent-spike-in-ev

NPR ILLINOIS
— GAO To Review Federal Coronavirus Response – BRIAN NAYLOR (DIERSEN: I worked for GAO for almost 18 years 1980-1997, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 levels, currently $101,176-$131,532/year. I was one of last Republicans that GAO’s Chicago office hired.)
https://www.nprillinois.org/post/congressional-watchdog-review-federal-coronavirus-response#stream/0
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/24/844562919/government-accountability-office-oversees-cares-act
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters say “Fox News Gets Push-Back For Supporting Anti-Shutdown Protests.”
https://www.nprillinois.org/post/fox-news-gets-push-back-supporting-anti-shutdown-protests#stream/0

CENTER SQUARE
— Illinois college campuses face prospect of staying closed this fall – Kevin Bessler
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/illinois-college-campuses-face-prospect-of-staying-closed-this-fall/article_51ca6e02-8584-11ea-8ee3-bf013955bbbc.html

PRAIRIE STATE WIRE
— Hundreds of ICU beds, nearly 2,000 ventilators not in use in Illinois, tally shows
https://prairiestatewire.com/stories/532932949-hundreds-of-icu-beds-nearly-2-000-ventilators-not-in-use-in-illinois-tally-shows
— Candidate Breen ‘disgusted’ by partisan politics in a time of crisis – Glenn Minnis 
https://prairiestatewire.com/stories/532500472-candidate-breen-disgusted-by-partisan-politics-in-a-time-of-crisis

DUPAGE POLICY JOURNAL
— Casten Describes Political Opponents as Nazi Sympathizers
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/532955889-casten-describes-political-opponents-as-nazi-sympathizers
— Congressional candidate Ives says state can reopen economy and still protect those at risk – Glenn Minnis
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/532503407-congressional-candidate-ives-says-state-can-reopen-economy-and-still-protect-those-at-risk

WIREPOINTS
— Reopen the Economy While Protecting Those Truly at Risk or Face Another Great Depression – Mark Glennon
https://wirepoints.org/reopen-the-economy-while-protecting-those-truly-at-risk-or-face-a-severe-depression/
— Chicago’s New Task Force Isn’t The A-Team. Here’s Who Lightfoot Should Call. – Mark Glennon
https://wirepoints.org/chicagos-new-task-force-isnt-the-a-team-heres-who-lightfoot-should-call-wirepoints/

ILLINOIS LEAKS
— Gov Pritzker’s Press Secretary, Jordan Abudayyeh, picking winners and losers in access – JOHN KRAFT (DIERSEN: I have been the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000. I should write a book about how activists, candidates, elected officials, party leaders, major donors, political consultants, etc. have treated me since 2000. I would focus on the aforesaid who pant themselves as being religious, conservative, and/or Republican and who blame me and blame my GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails for their problems, for your problems, for my problems, and for everyone’s problems.) 
https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2020/04/gov-pritzkers-press-secretary-jordan-abudayyeh-picking-winners-and-losers-in-access/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Three times this week we have asked the Governor’s Press Secretary, Jordan Abudayyeh, to add us to the list of Media receiving those login credentials. As has been the norm for the past couple of months, Abudayyeh hasn’t even bothered to acknowledge a question or request that has been sent to her. She hasn’t added us to the daily email blast either. We believe either Governor Pritzker or Jordan Abudayyeh are purposely restricting access to this question submitting process and wonder why Abudayyeh would take these steps to infringe on the free speech and equal access rights of reporters, and their ability to ask text questions alongside other reporters within and without the State of Illinois. Denial of access cannot be tolerated and we urge Governor Pritzker to direct his Press Secretary to honor all requests for login credentials.)

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— DESPITE ECONOMIC CRISIS, PRITZKER WON’T CONSIDER POSTPONING $261 MILLION IN STATE RAISES – Mailee Smith (DIERSEN: During the 1980s and 1990s, to deal with GAO’s Republican-led economic crisis, that is, Republican-led budget cuts, the Democrats who ran GAO got rid of GAO’s employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who they had not promoted to GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40.)
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/despite-economic-crisis-pritzker-wont-consider-postponing-261-million-in-state-raises/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Washington Post reporter says Trump stands in solidarity with quarantine protestors because they are his people, just like neo-Nazis – Becket Adams
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/washington-post-reporter-says-quarantine-protestors-are-trumps-people-and-just-like-neo-nazis

RUSH LIMBAUGH
— Trump Didn’t Tell People to Drink Drano or Inject Lysol!
https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2020/04/24/trump-didnt-tell-people-to-drink-drano/

AMERICAN THINKER
— The media’s agenda has done (and continues to do) enormous damage to America – Jack Hellner
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/04/the_medias_agenda_has_done_and_continues_to_do_enormous_damage_to_america_.html

BREITBART
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater says “Immigration Raises Americans’ Wages.” 
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/04/24/nyts-white-house-reporter-immigration-raises-americans-wages/

BLAZE
— New Jersey governor is open to paying illegal immigrants $600 a week despite state ‘running out of money’ Gov. Phil Murphy acknowledges that New Jersey is broke. – Paul Sacca
https://www.theblaze.com/news/new-jersey-pay-illegal-immigrants

CNS NEWS
— Candace Owens to AOC: ‘You’re a Racist, Radical Communist…Using Plight of Minorities to Fulfill Your Sick and Twisted Goals’ – Craig Bannister 
https://cnsnews.com/blog/craig-bannister/candace-owens-aoc-youre-racist-radical-communistusing-plight-minorities

NEWSMAX
— Chicago Tribune Rips Illinois State Senate Bailout Request – Cathy Burke
https://www.newsmax.com/us/chicago-bailout-coronavirus-pension/2020/04/24/id/964622/
— Does Citizenship Mean Anything to Democrats? – James Walsh (DIERSEN: Democrats want to give citizenship to ANYONE who will vote for Democrats. RINOs want to give citizenship to ANYONE who will work for less money.)
https://www.newsmax.com/jameswalsh/democrats-immigration-anchor-babies/2020/04/24/id/964466/

MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters promote hatred against Asian-Americans, and then blame Trump for that hatred.
https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/kyle-drennen/2020/04/24/nbc-blames-trump-growing-discrimination-against-asian-americans

LIFE SITE NEWS
— Trump-appointed intel director determined to make spy agencies more LGBT-friendly – Doug Mainwaring
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/trump-appointed-intel-director-determined-to-make-spy-agencies-more-lgbt-friendly
— Leftist elites are using corona crisis to accomplish the ‘change’ promised by Obama, Hillary Clinton America’s leftist elites are subverting the U.S. from within by means of the ‘Cloward-Piven Strategy.’ – Doug Mainwaring
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/leftist-elites-are-using-corona-crisis-to-accomplish-the-change-promised-by-obama-hillary-clinton

NATIONAL REVIEW
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters say “New York Times Inflates President’s Foolishness into Monstrousness.”
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/media-donald-trump-new-york-times-inflates-foolishness-into-monstrousness/

THE HILL
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater says “Using the coronavirus to keep out immigrants will hurt the economy.” Democrats want immigrants because immigrants vote for Democrats. RINOs want immigrants because RINOs want cheap labor.
https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/494533-using-the-coronavirus-to-keep-out-immigrants-will-hurt-the-economy
— Google makes heavy cuts to marketing budgets, begins hiring freezes – MARTY JOHNSON (DIERSEN: During the 1980s and 1990s, to deal with GAO’s Republican-led economic crisis, that is, Republican-led budget cuts, the Democrats who ran GAO got rid of GAO’s employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who they had not promoted to GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40.)
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/494457-google-makes-heavy-cuts-to-marketing-budgets-begins-hiring-freezes
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters say “Trump coronavirus briefings put health officials in bind.” 
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/494574-trump-coronavirus-briefings-put-health-officials-in-bind

POLITICO
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, Trump-haters side with Communist China against America.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/24/gop-memo-anti-china-coronavirus-207244
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, Trump-haters use coronavirus to get minorities, and everyone else, to hate individuals, hate organizations, hate companies, hate governments, and hate countries that are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/race-coronavirus-outreach-197470

REUTERS
— How Trump has sealed off the United States during coronavirus outbreak – Mica Rosenberg, Ted Hesson
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-immigration-ex/explainer-how-trump-has-sealed-off-the-united-states-during-coronavirus-outbreak-idUSKCN2262O6

NBC NEWS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, Trump-haters focus on getting minorities, and everyone else, to hate individuals, hate organizations, hate companies, hate governments, and hate countries that are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.
https://news.yahoo.com/covering-trump-campaign-led-reporter-163400973.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— How Joe Biden Should Pick His Running Mate – Richard Moe (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, everyone is under ever-increasing pressure to promote individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that are anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, anti-German Americans, anti-draft avoiders, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/23/opinion/biden-vice-president-choice.html
— Trump’s Temporary Halt to Immigration is Part of Broader Plan, Stephen Miller Says “The first and most important thing is to turn off the faucet of new immigrant labor — mission accomplished,’’ Mr. Miller told conservatives allies, according to an audio recording. – Michael D. Shear and Maggie Haberman
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/us/politics/coronavirus-trump-immigration-stephen-miller.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater says “How Republicans Became the Party of Death.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/opinion/republicans-coronavirus.html
— Failing to Help Those Who Need It Most – Editorial
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/opinion/coronavirus-stimulus-failure.html
— FRONT PAGE: Black Leaders Want a Black Woman as Biden’s Running Mate. But Who? – Astead W. Herndon (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, everyone is under ever-increasing pressure to promote individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that are anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, anti-German Americans, anti-draft avoiders, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/us/politics/joe-biden-vice-president-black-candidates.html

NEW YORK POST
— Left’s scornful response amid COVID-19 lockdowns will help re-elect Trump – Andrea Peyser
https://nypost.com/2020/04/24/lefts-response-amid-coronavirus-lockdowns-will-re-elect-trump/

DALLAS NEWS
— Dallas city employees warned furloughs, layoffs could be coming because of millions in losses over coronavirus – Hayat Norimine (DIERSEN: During the 1980s and 1990s, to deal with GAO’s Republican-led economic crisis, that is, Republican-led budget cuts, the Democrats who ran GAO got rid of GAO’s employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who they had not promoted to GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40.)
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/public-health/2020/04/24/dallas-city-employees-warned-furloughs-layoffs-could-be-coming/

ARKANSAS TIMES
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: The more that you call for reopening, the more that you are demonized, denigrated, and condemned. 
https://www.bhpioneer.com/covid-19/i-ll-stick-with-the-experts-thanks/article_3f5b37da-864f-11ea-b958-afd34938eaf1.html

BOSTON HERALD
— Once again, Trump supporters mocked, belittled – Editorial (DIERSEN: As November 3, 2020 approaches, which Trump-haters in Illinois, in your county, in your township, in your municipality, in your municipal district, in your precinct, and in your neighborhood will take the lead in promoting hatred against Trump and against those who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time? I should write a book about Trump-haters in Illinois, DuPage County, Milton Township, Wheaton, Wheaton’s West District, my precinct, and my neighborhood.) 
https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/04/22/once-again-trump-supporters-mocked-belittled/

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
— California cities warn of widespread layoffs and service cuts due to nearly $7 billion in coronavirus losses – Alexei Koseff (DIERSEN: During the 1980s and 1990s, to deal with GAO’s Republican-led economic crisis, that is, Republican-led budget cuts, the Democrats who ran GAO got rid of GAO’s employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who they had not promoted to GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40.)
https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/California-cities-warn-of-widespread-layoffs-and-15224829.php

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— A Bailout for Illinois? Not Without Strict Conditions Other states will line up for money if Washington rewards Springfield for mismanaging its pensions. – Andrew Biggs
https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-bailout-for-illinois-not-without-strict-conditions-11587765373
— Reopening the U.S. Economy Even if the Pandemic Endures It’s not true that the only way to improve public health is by shutting down the economy and the only way to improve the economy is by sacrificing public health. – Avik Roy
https://www.wsj.com/articles/reopening-the-u-s-economy-even-if-the-pandemic-endures-11587740529
— More people look for respite from the noise on Facebook and other broad platforms in narrowly defined communities – Sarah Needleman (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes want everyone to do nothing but look at and read what they post on Facebook.), 
https://www.wsj.com/articles/from-running-and-fiction-to-baking-and-videogames-social-networking-goes-niche-11587720604
— As Coronavirus Spread, Online Donations to Biden, Democrats Slumped Donations slowed in latter half of March, even as Joe Biden posted his strongest fundraising month yet – Chad Day, Luis Melgar and Jessica Wang (DIERSEN: What discourages you from contributing money to candidates? For me, the reasons include a) my being treated rudely by them, by their staff members, by their volunteers, and/or by their supporters; b) my concluding that if elected, they would not defend or advance the traditional family, right to life, immigration, illegal drugs, Second Amendment, and/or equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks in the Republican Party platform; c) my concluding that if elected, they might very well promote dependency on government, dependency on charity, LGBTQ activity, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, booze, gambling, pot, and other vices, abolition of the First and Second Amendments, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and/or retaliation for opposing the aforesaid; d) my concluding that they are running as an anti-Trump candidate, will run as an anti-Trump candidate, or would be an anti-Trump elected official if elected; e) their having big skeletons in their closets; and/or f) their having said and/or done things that show that they are anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-non poor people, anti-gun owners, anti-German Americans, anti-draft avoiders, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.) 
https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-coronavirus-spread-online-donations-to-biden-democrats-lagged-11587729602
— U.S. Durable-Goods Orders Drop as Economic Outlook Sours Orders for long-lasting factory goods fell 14.4%; commercial aircraft and parts orders dropped more than $16.3 billion – David Harrison
https://www.wsj.com/articles/collapse-in-aircraft-demand-drove-down-march-factory-orders-11587737945

FORBES
— Battling Trump And Coronavirus—How China Makes Sure Huawei Does Not Fail – Zak Doffman
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/04/25/battling-trump-and-coronavirus-heres-china-making-sure-huawei-does-not-fail/#1bbb378f5b6a
— Coronavirus Scapegoating: Employment Discrimination Against Asian Americans – Tom Spiggle (DIERSEN: The fewer protected groups that you are a member of, the sooner that Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, and RINOs will get rid of you. Protected groups include those that are anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, anti-German Americans, anti-draft avoiders, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time. Protected groups include: Trump-haters, illegals, non-citizens, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, RINOs, moderates, liberals, globalists, Blacks, Asians, females, young people, LGBTQers, non-Protestants, non-German Americans, drinkers, gamblers, stoners, those who have criminal records, those who have less money than others, those whose ancestors have not been in America for a long time, etc.)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomspiggle/2020/04/20/coronavirus-scapegoating-employment-discrimination-against-asian-americans/#2419acf64470

NEW YORKER
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater says “Fifty Thousand Americans Dead from the Coronavirus, and a President Who Refuses to Mourn Them.”
https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/fifty-thousand-americans-dead-in-the-coronavirus-pandemic-and-a-president-who-refuses-to-mourn-them

WASHINGTON MONTHLY
— How Trump’s COVID Immigration Policies Could Become Permanent If he’s reelected, America may remain closed even after it is pandemic free. – Daniel Block
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/04/21/how-trumps-covid-immigration-policies-could-become-permanent/

JD SUPRA
— New York City Commission on Human Rights Forms COVID-19 Response Team (DIERSEN: The fewer protected groups that you are a member of, the sooner that Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, and RINOs will get rid of you. Protected groups include those that are anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, anti-German Americans, anti-draft avoiders, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time. Protected groups include: Trump-haters, illegals, non-citizens, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, RINOs, moderates, liberals, Blacks, Asians, females, young people, LGBTQers, non-Protestants, non-German Americans, drinkers, gamblers, stoners, those who have criminal records, those who have less money than others, those whose ancestors have not been in America for a long time, etc.) )
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/new-york-city-commission-on-human-67465/

GUARDIAN
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: America-haters use coronavirus to promote hatred of America.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/25/coronavirus-racial-disparities-african-americans

Author: David Diersen

The opinions that I express in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails are based on experience that I have gained doing many things since 1948. I base my opinions on what I learned a) working for the federal government for almost 30 years -- Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, serving on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter 1983-1996, and being a union member while I worked for the Post Office and IRS; b) earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, a masters degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, and a masters degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997; c) passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981; c) serving as a Republican Precinct Committeeman since 1999, the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000, the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois Chairman 2005-2012, a member of the 2008 Illinois Republican Party (IRP) Platform and Resolutions Committee, a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member 2003-2011, the Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007, and an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member 2001-2004; d) attending the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 IRP State Conventions as a delegate; e) being the subject of a nasty 4-page article in the February 1978 issue of Money Magazine; f) pursing litigation including Diersen v. GAO and Diersen v. Chicago Car Exchange; g) being married since 1978; h) living in Crete 1948-1972, in University Park 1972-1976, in Chicago 1976-1978, and in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton since 1978; and i) being baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran.