August 29, 2024

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Amy Jacobson steps down as Amundsen volleyball coach after controversial comments about Gus Walz. – MOLLY MORROW
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/08/28/amy-jacobson-amundsen-gus-walz/

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH TWO PHOTOS: Past due: Bills from DuPage County clerk in question again. – Alicia Fabbre
https://www.dailyherald.com/20240828/news/past-due-bills-from-dupage-county-clerk-in-question-again/

CBS2
— JD Vance says Kamala Harris “can go to hell” over Afghanistan withdrawal. – Caitlin Yilek
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jd-vance-kamala-harris-can-go-to-hell-afghanistan-arlington-cemetery/

FOX32
— Amy Jacobson no longer CPS coach after controversial comments about Gus Walz. – Tia Ewing and Maggie Duly
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/cps-coach-amy-jacobson-controversial-comments-gus-walz

WGN9
— CPS coach quits after disparaging remarks on radio show about Tim Walz’s son. – BJ Lutz
https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/amy-jacobson-amundsen-high-cps-coach-comment-wind-radio-gus-walz/

WTTW & NPR ILLINOIS
— To get more votes from those who are the following, candidates ever-increasingly promise to use government to give them more preference: liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, unmarried, LGBTQ, have less money than others, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, etc. But to give preference to one group is to discriminate against another group. To give preference to those who are the aforesaid is to discriminate against those who are conservative, White, male, older, married, heterosexual, have more money than others, Protestant, German American, have ancestors who have been in America for a long time, etc.
https://news.wttw.com/2024/08/28/harris-trump-campaigns-pushing-secure-black-male-voters-presidential-election
https://www.northernpublicradio.org/2024-08-28/how-the-harris-and-trump-campaigns-are-courting-young-voters

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders should refuting Kinzinger’s arguments against Trump.
https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/26/former-illinois-gop-congressman-rallies-for-harris-at-dnc/74909624007/

ALTON TELEGRAPH
— When did your family reunions end?  Mine ended in 1960s.
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/jacoby-family-reunion-1931-alton-illinois-history-19726094.php

NORTHERN PUBLIC RADIO
— Democrats ever-increasingly push minorities to be pot pushers.
https://www.northernpublicradio.org/illinois/2024-08-28/as-illinois-receives-praise-for-its-cannabis-equity-efforts-stakeholders-still-working-on-systems-flaws

JOLIET PATCH
— Donald Trump’s Biggest Fan In Joliet: Meet Bob Tracy, 63. On a daily basis, Joliet resident Bob Tracy sells memorabilia of former President Donald Trump along West Jefferson Street near Larkin. – John Ferak
https://patch.com/illinois/joliet/donald-trumps-biggest-fan-joliet-meet-bob-tracy-63

ELMHURST PATCH
— Dennis Reboletti, who is running for the Elmhurst-based state representative’s seat, has something most Republicans don’t – a teachers union endorsement. The Illinois Federation of Teachers has endorsed Reboletti, an Elmhurst resident who is Addison Township’s supervisor, for District 45 state representative. – David Giuliani
https://patch.com/illinois/elmhurst/elmhurst-republican-gets-rare-endorsement

CITY OF WHEATON
— Community Invited to Attend September 11 Remembrance Ceremony (COMMENT: I organized Wheaton’s 2004 and 2005 September 11 Remembrance Ceremonies. I should write a book about those ceremonies. I would focus on those Wheaton leaders who boycotted those ceremonies and who continue to dominate Wheaton and despise/hate/punish me.)
https://wheaton.il.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1177

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2024/08/29/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-358/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2024/08/28/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-151/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WIREPOINTS
— Chicago media are part of the club that runs the city, so there’s no way they’ll actually criticize failures
https://wirepoints.org/chicago-media-are-part-of-the-club-that-runs-the-city-so-theres-no-way-theyll-actually-criticize-failures-wirepoints-on-wls-ramblin-ray-show/
— Government created the affordable housing issue… throwing more money at it will make things even worse
https://wirepoints.org/government-created-the-affordable-housing-issue-throwing-more-money-at-it-will-make-things-even-worse-wirepoints-on-chicago-tonight/

EAST CENTRAL REPORTER
— State Rep. Miller on billboards critiquing Pritzker, Johnson policies: ‘Their open border, soft on crime, anti-business policies have had real-world consequences’
https://eastcentralreporter.com/stories/663791832-state-rep-miller-on-billboards-critiquing-pritzker-johnson-policies-their-open-border-soft-on-crime-anti-business-policies-have-had-real-world-consequences

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Beware the polls: They’re all wrong. But just like weather forecasters, they stick around. – Joseph Curl
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/aug/28/beware-polls-theyre-all-wrong/
— Democrats warn women: Don’t trust Trump on abortion. – Mallory Wilson
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/aug/28/democrats-warn-women-not-to-trust-donald-trump-on-/
— Republicans should recognize unions aren’t their friends. Allies don’t pursue frivolous federal charges against you. – Rowan Saydlowski
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/aug/28/republicans-should-recognize-unions-arent-their-fr/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— The media aren’t biased — they are Democratic agents. – Brady Leonard
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/3135233/media-arent-biased-they-are-democratic-agents/

NEW YORK POST
— DISGUSTING: Home Depot partnered with LGBTQ curriculum that taught elementary schoolers about pansexuals. – Hannah Grossman (COMMENT: How much success have Democrats had making the students in your school district sexually active LGBTQers?)
https://nypost.com/2024/08/28/us-news/home-depot-partnered-with-lgbtq-curriculum-that-taught-elementary-schoolers-about-pansexuals/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Illegals are setting wildfires out in San Diego’s back country. – Monica Showalter
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/08/calfire_confirms_that_illegals_are_setting_wildfires_out_in_san_diego_s_back_country.html

BAKER HOSTETLER
— The Cloakroom with Peter Roskam (COMMENT: Since 2000, I did more to help elect and to help reelect Roskam than any other candidate on ballots in my precinct. Consequently, my critics/opponents have hinted/implied/argued/shouted at Roskam the most that I caused his defeat in 2018 and that I caused all his other problems. I should write a book about my critics/opponents.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW1Bh_xakCE

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— ‘Classic California’: State Senate passes bill providing home loans for illegals. – Frieda Powers
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2024/08/28/classic-california-state-senate-passes-bill-providing-home-loans-for-illegals-but-theres-no-money-1483287/

BREITBART
— Americans Support Tariffs, Drilling, and Deporting Illegals – JOHN CARNEY
https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2024/08/28/breitbart-business-digest-americans-support-tariffs-drilling-and-deporting-illegals/

COLLEGE FIX
— Northwestern to mandate antisemitism, ‘other forms of hate’ training for students (COMMENT: I should write a book about my Democrat Chicago office GAO superiors who were the most antisemitic. I would focus on those who used against me the most my volunteering to work for the office’s Jewish GS-15 (currently $160,458-$191,900/year) 1990-1997. They were furious when I got IIT to name her to its financial markets and trading graduate program advisory board.)
https://www.thecollegefix.com/northwestern-to-mandate-antisemitism-other-forms-of-hate-training-for-students/

CONSERVATIVE HQ
— Venezuela, South America’s Socialist Dystopia, Is No Model for America. – Laurence F. Sanford
https://www.conservativehq.com/post/venezuela-south-america-s-socialist-dystopia-is-no-model-for-america

CREATORS SYNDICATE
— ‘What Did You Learn in School Today?’ – Armstrong Williams (COMMENT: When I was in school, my teachers taught me reading, writing, and arithmetic instead of teaching me to blame others for my problems. That enabled me to get an ACT score of 24, graduate in the upper 20% of my high school class, earn a bachelor’s degree and three master’s degrees, earn six professional certifications, and earn a professional license even I had to work my way through college, neither of my parents attended college, my father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma and died suddenly when I was 21, and my mother never attended high school.)
https://www.creators.com/read/armstrong-williams/08/24/what-did-you-learn-in-school-today

DAILY SIGNAL
— Biden Executive Order Enables Illegal Aliens to Vote. – Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell
https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/08/29/biden-executive-order-allows-illegals-vote-election-expert-says/
— Biden’s Executive Amnesty Hits Roadblock. – Ben Johnson
https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/08/28/bidens-executive-amnesty-hits-roadblock/

DAILY TORCH
— Time for Never Trumpers to Drop their Conservative Charade – Rick Manning (COMMENT: I should write about the biggest Never Trumpers in Illinois, DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton. I would focus on those who have taken the most/biggest adverse actions against me since 2015.)
https://dailytorch.com/2024/08/time-for-never-trumpers-to-drop-their-conservative-charade/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party nominee, is the most liberal nominee for president in history. She has ardently supported Medicare for All, also known as a complete federal government takeover of health care, even though she has tried to walk it back in this election cycle. Philosophically, self-proclaimed conservatives have argued vehemently against this policy and the experience of Covid should have given the practical reasons to back the rhetoric. She is on record as opposing hydraulic fracturing and the Biden-Harris energy policy is one that makes the country more dependent upon electricity generation while ending the most reliable sources to generate electricity. With the  key Electoral College state Pennsylvania being a major economic beneficiary of fracking Harris now claims to be against banning the process. GOP “leaders” claim to oppose the Green New Deal destruction of fossil fuels generation, and pretend to understand that reliance on unreliable sources of energy puts our nation at risk. She has proposed price controls on food as a solution to inflation. You can’t find a single conservative leader in America who believes that the government can do a better job of pricing commodities than the market, and that food price controls don’t mean food shortages. Not even the Washington Post thinks this emphasis on price “gouging” is a good idea. Kamala Harris is an abortion extremist who as the California Attorney General raided the home of an independent journalist who uncovered an elaborate business venture by Planned Parenthood to market and sell baby body parts from aborted children.  Kamala Harris did not prosecute Planned Parenthood, but the journalist who uncovered and videotaped the sickening practice of selling off body parts as if aborted children were human parts manufacturers. On taxes, she has embraced taxing unrealized capital gains. An example of an unrealized capital gain would be to impose a tax on a homeowner on any appreciation of the value of their home even though that money is only a paper gain and not in their bank account. Also, the Tax Foundation found that Harris’ pledge to end the Trump tax cuts will mean a tax increase for most Americans. In fact, the bottom half of taxpayers would have their average tax rate raised to 4 percent from the current 3.4 percent.  Married couples with two children making a joint income of $85,000 a year would see their taxes go up by $1,661 a year, the equivalent of almost 2 percent of their entire pre-tax salary for the year.  And of course, the Biden border Czarina Harris has seen 10 million illegals encountered at the border since she was given stewardship of the border crisis by President Biden. Note that this does not include the estimated 2 million illegals who got away after being observed by the Border Patrol. It is so bad that Harris is trying to deny any part in the Biden border fiasco, but not even Google can make the news clips of her appointment go away. It is really hard to find a screwball, California idea that Harris hasn’t supported, including banning gasoline powered cars, which the Biden-Harris administration would put out of business by 2037, two years after California banned them. All of this does not even include the Biden-Harris weaponization of the Justice Department and intelligence agencies against their political opponents, the on-going censorship and manipulation of social media platforms to promote the left’s political agenda, or her adamant opposition to the Second Amendment. In fact, it is hard to find a part of the Constitution that Harris actually supports. Given the above, any person who endorses Kamala Harris for president can no longer call themselves a conservative in any way, shape or form. They are not. They are massive government enablers unable to get over the fact that Donald Trump defeated them in a primary election in 2016 and again in the primary of 2024. The question that the Liz Cheneys of the world need to answer is whether they were lying when they claimed to be pro-life, support free markets, lower taxes, less federal government control, gun rights, energy independence and the basic freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution. Even those with the worst cases of Trump Derangement Syndrome should be able to look at the policies of Kamala Harris and reject them outright. Those with the worst cases have the option of voting third party – maybe the pot party (err, the Libertarian Party) is high enough to earn your vote. But endorsing Kamala Harris is admitting that everything you said was important no longer matters, and that you support the likely final stage of the fundamental transformation of America because … Donald Trump. I can no longer take those seriously who have embraced the New Age Harris who rejects constitutional governance in her musings about being unburdened by the past The very soul of America is at stake, and there is no room in the fight to preserve the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution and the ideal that all are created equal endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights for those who would sacrifice our fundamental liberties because they don’t like mean tweets. Now, more than ever, in the words of Ronald Reagan, this is our time for choosing.)

DAILY WIRE
— The Real Reason Why Kamala Won’t Answer Questions – Matt Walsh
https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1431-member-exclusive

EPOCH TIMES
— Supreme Court Refuses to Reinstate $475 Billion Student Loan Relief Program. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked the program. – Matthew Vadum (COMMENT: I did not get a college loan. If I had, I would have studied more instead of working all the part-time hours that I could while I attended UIC 1966-1968 and NIU 1969-1970 and my GPA would have been much higher. That would helped me get a better job faster after I graduated.)
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/supreme-court-refuses-to-reinstate-475-billion-student-loan-relief-program-5714445

FOX BUSINESS
— Attorney accuses CA lawmakers of ‘window dressing’ bill granting home loans to migrants: ‘Magnet’ for illegals. This is an ‘old gimmick in marketing’ by California, real estate expert warns. – Kayla Bailey
https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/attorney-accuses-ca-lawmakers-window-dressing-bill-granting-home-loans-migrants-magnet-illegals

FOX NEWS
— Illegal migrants do not have gun rights protected by 2nd Amendment: federal appeals court. ‘Our court has held that the term ‘the people’ under the Second Amendment does not include illegal aliens,’ U.S. Circuit Judge James Ho wrote. – Michael Dorgan
https://www.foxnews.com/us/illegal-migrants-do-not-have-gun-rights-protected-2nd-amendment-federal-appeals-court
— Biden admin looks to revive asylum program despite findings of ‘mass fraud.’  DHS is still reviewing about 30,000 previously filed applications. – Michael Lee
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-may-revive-asylum-program-shut-down-after-mass-fraud-report
— CA Housing Assistance for the “Undocumented”
https://radio.foxnews.com/2024/08/28/ca-housing-assistance-for-the-undocumented/

FOX NEWS RADIO
— CA Housing Assistance for the “Undocumented”
https://radio.foxnews.com/2024/08/28/ca-housing-assistance-for-the-undocumented/

JONATHAN TURLEY
— Palin Wins Appeal on Defamation Case Against New York Times
https://jonathanturley.org/2024/08/29/222891/comment-page-1/

NATIONAL REVIEW
— White Undergrads Sue Department of Education for Racial Discrimination in Scholarship Program. – DAVID ZIMMERMANN (COMMENT: What are your demographics? In what ways are those who share your demographics underrepresented? I am conservative. Ever-increasingly, those who are conservative are underrepresented in America, in Illinois, in DuPage County, in Milton Township, in Wheaton, and in School District 200. Ever-increasingly, those who are conservative are underrepresented in the Republican National Committee, Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization.)
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/white-undergrads-sue-department-of-education-for-racial-discrimination-in-scholarship-program/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Department of Education is accused of discriminating against two white college students who did not meet the racial requirements for one of its top scholarship programs in a new lawsuit filed by a conservative law firm. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) announced on Wednesday that the Department of Education is being sued for its Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, which excludes applicants who are not from “underrepresented segments of society.”)
— You Can Get through College without Debt. – GEORGE LEEF (COMMENT: I had to work my way through college and I did. I graduated debt-free from NIU in 1970 and owning a 1969 Dodge Charger SE. To ignore/dismiss/belittle/badmouth that, my critics/opponents have always stressed that I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my high school class, that my ACT score was only 24, that I got no scholarships, that my GPA was not that great, and that NIU is not Ivy League. In my defense, I stress that my GPA suffered because instead of studying, I worked all the part-time hours that could washing dishes while I was in high school and delivering mail while I was in college. But I acknowledge that could have a) worked fewer hours, b) earned less money, and c) not bought a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint in 1966, a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967, and a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968.)
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/you-can-get-through-college-without-debt/

NEW AMERICAN
— Calif. Dems Vote to Give Illegals $150K to Buy Homes — No Money Down, No Repayment – R. Cort Kirkwood
https://thenewamerican.com/us/immigration/calif-dems-vote-to-give-illegals-150k-to-buy-homes-no-money-down-no-repayment/

PJ MEDIA
— Kamala’s Policies Are Getting Americans Brutalized. How Much Will We the People Endure? – Kevin Downey Jr.
https://pjmedia.com/kevindowneyjr/2024/08/28/illegal-immigrant-guns-down-eight-how-much-more-will-americans-endure-n4932055

TOWNHALL
— Kamala’s Disastrous Immigration Policies Continue to Wreak Havoc Across the Country. – Guy Benson
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2024/08/28/border-crisis-n2643898
— As Californians Struggle to Afford Homes, Dems Pass Bill Extending ‘Loan’ Program to Illegal Immigrants. – Leah Barkoukis
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2024/08/28/california-illegal-immigration-0-down-0-interest-home-loans-n2644028
— Homeland Security Hands Out More Money for Illegal Immigrants. – Mia Cathell
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/miacathell/2024/08/28/dhs-announcement-380-million-illegal-immigrants-n2644053
— Democrats Are Freaking Out Over Republicans’ Efforts to Stop Illegal Aliens From Voting. – Katie Pavlich
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2024/08/28/democrats-keep-fighting-for-illegal-immigrants-to-vote-n2644037

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NEW YORK TIMES
— The mainstream news media evert-increasingly a) promotes Harris/Walz and b) demonizes, denigrates, and condemns Trump/Vance.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/27/upshot/harris-trump-polling-bounce.html

CNN & WASHINGTON POST & NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— According to Democrats, Blacks have to be given preference to succeed. To help my Black subordinate succeed, my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire and gave him my job and my preferred corner office. He had less work experience than I had. I had worked for GAO for almost 18 years and for IRS for almost 9 years before that. He had fewer professional certifications than I had. He had one and I had six. He had no professional license. I had a CPA license.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/28/business/dei-john-deere-harley-davidson-robby-starbuck/index.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/08/28/affirmative-action-race-based-scholarships/
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/the-robby-starbuck-attacks-on-dei-arent-working.html

USA TODAY
— DEI trumps teaching Constitution at law schools. – John Yoo
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2024/08/23/law-school-yale-berkley-campus-protests/74861885007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— The American Dream Feels Out of Reach for Most. A Wall Street Journal poll shows people want a home, a family and a comfortable retirement, but say those goals are tough to achieve even with hard work. – Rachel Wolfe (COMMENT: Back in the good old days, I was able to a) buy a 6-year-old car when I was 16 in 1964 with money that I had earned doing yard work and delivering newspapers for 2 years, b) buy a new car when I was 17 with money that I had earned delivering newspapers and washing dishes for 18 months, c) buy another new car when I was 19 with money that I earned doing various jobs for 3 months and delivering mail for 13 months, d) buy another new car when I was 20 with money that I earned delivering mail for 12 months, e) pay for all my college expenses with money that I had earned delivering mail for 34 months, d) buy another new car when I was 23, e) buy a new town home when I was 24, f) buy condos when I was 25 and 27, f) earn master’s degrees when I was 27 and 31, g) get married when I was 29, h) buy a home with my wife and two new cars when I was 29, i) pass the CPA examination on my firsts attempt when I was 31, j) pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and become a licensed CPA when I was 32, k) have a new home built when I was 35, l) etc.)
https://www.wsj.com/economy/consumers/american-dream-poll-us-economy-e5ddf640

FOX25
— Americans are losing faith in the American Dream, according to the results of a new Wall Street Journal/NORC poll. (COMMENT: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, ever-increasingly, the more of the following that you are, the bleaker that your future is: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, heterosexual, Protestant, German American, have ancestors who have been in America for a long time, etc.)
https://midmichigannow.com/news/nation-world/is-the-american-dream-dying-new-poll-paints-grim-picture-kamala-harris-joe-biden-donald-trum-home-ownership-marriage-financial-stability-usa-america-election-economy

PBS
— Black Democrats ever-increasingly blame Whites for Black-on-Black gun crimes.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-groups-in-chicago-are-countering-the-narrative-their-city-is-a-hotbed-of-violence

AMERICA MAGAZINE
— Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly use the Pope to promote more illegal immigration, that is, to destroy America.
https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/08/28/pope-francis-driving-away-migrants-grave-sin-248662

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.