November 2, 2025

Democrat leaders ever-increasingly make it clear that they will never stop a) illegally bringing citizens of foreign countries into America illegally and b) illegally keeping them in America illegally. Anticipate/expect that Democrat leaders will ever-increasingly equate their illegals with slaves.

Early Friday morning, the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation that bans ICE officers from making arrests in and around state courthouses, hospitals, daycare, and colleges. Part of the bill establishes a 1,000-foot safe zone around courthouses, and carries a $10,000 penalty in statutory damages. The law makes courthouses equivalent to churches. Anticipate/expect that Democrat leaders will ever-increasingly flood safe zones with their illegals. How many safe zones are there in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?

To get more votes from liberals, moderates, minorities, females, younger people, LGBTQers, unmarried people, those who have less money than others, non-Protestant, non-German American, those who have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, those who have financial, health, and/or other problems, citizens of foreign countries, etc., Democrat leaders ever-increasingly turn those who are the aforesaid against conservatives, Whites, males, older people, heterosexuals, married people, those who have more money than others, Protestant, German American, those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time, those who do not have financial, health, and/or other problems, citizens of America, etc. How successful have Democrat leaders been doing the aforesaid in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Local restaurants offering free meals to SNAP recipients who’ve lost their benefits
https://abc7chicago.com/post/illinois-snap-benefits-november-wooden-paddle-lemont-la-grange-locations-offering-free-pizza-lost/18101012/

CBS2
— Shot fired, multiple fights reported as hundreds of teens packed downtown Oak Park
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/shot-fired-multiple-fights-reportedteens-packed-downtown-oak-park/

WGN9
— Evanston community rallies after immigration operation leads to clashes, school closures
https://wgntv.com/evanston/evanston-leaders-to-address-recent-federal-agent-activity/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— ‘Everybody’s hungry’: Food distribution event sees hundreds of people amid SNAP uncertainty
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/01/snap-chicago-food-distribution-hunger/
— Hegseth cancels observance of “cultural awareness” months in the military. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, virtually every month, if not every month, was a cultural awareness month for my Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates who did not share my race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and/or national origin. They were elaborate affairs. My Democrat Black subordinate led the office’s Black History Months 1990–1997. In 1997, when I was 49 years old, my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire and gave him my job and my preferred corner office.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/02/column-pete-hegseth-history-miltion-olive-iii-page/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: Pellets and peppers, grenades and gas: A look at the weapons ICE uses in Broadview and Chicago
https://chicago.suntimes.com/graphics/immigration/2025/ice-less-lethal-weapons-explainer-tear-gas/
— Activists, lawmakers call on Home Depot to bar federal agents from entering its stores
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/11/01/home-depot-immigration-chicago-protest
— As SNAP benefits are cut off, Chicagoans who rely on assistance line up at food pantries on South and West sides
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/11/01/snap-benefits-federal-funding-government-shutdown
— Religious leaders’ request to give Communion to detainees at Broadview facility is denied again
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/11/01/religious-leaders-request-to-give-communion-to-detainees-at-broadview-facility-is-denied-again
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/11/01/brighton-park-march-ice-immigration

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: What new ACT data shows of student proficiency in 2025 school report card. DD: What was your ACT score? Mine was only 24. I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my 1966 Crete-Monee High School class. My critics/opponents have always used that against me. I had to work my way through college. I spend far too many hours during my junior and senior years washing dishes for the minimum wage in the basement of the S.S. Kresge in Chicago Heights instead of studying. My plan was to earn enough money to buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint, a poor man’s GTO, (SEE: https://over-drive-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1965-12-CD-1966-Pontiac-Tempest-Sprint-Test-1-4.pdf ) to use to commute to/from classes at UIC from my parents’ home in Crete, and that is what I did. My critics/opponents fault me for that. I did not “need” such an expensive car to commute in. I could have commuted in my 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air (SEE: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/nobody-wants-this-1958-chevrolet-bel-air-despite-costing-only-900-260188.html ) that I bought in 1964 with money I earned doing yard work and delivering newspapers.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251101/education/what-new-act-data-shows-of-student-proficiency-in-2025-school-report-card/

Q98.5
— Major Rate Hike Coming Soon To Illinois Tollways. DD: How often to you use Illinois tollways? I used Illinois tollways a lot in 1969. During my first semester at NIU in DeKalb, I came back to my parents’ home in Crete every weekend to keep my part-time Park Forest Post Office job. Regrettably, too often, I skipped Monday and Friday classes and came back Thursday evenings and returned Monday evenings to work more hours.
https://q985online.com/ixp/711/p/illinois-tollways-chicago-rate-hike-2025/

SHAW LOCAL
— How did my DuPage County school do on the 2025 Illinois School Report Card?
https://www.shawlocal.com/my-suburban-life/2025/10/30/how-did-my-dupage-county-school-do-on-the-2025-illinois-school-report-card/

NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TV
— Hundreds to sleep out in DuPage to raise awareness for homelessness
https://www.nctv17.org/news/hundreds-to-sleep-out-in-dupage-to-raise-awareness-for-homelessness/
— DuPage connects residents to food aid amid potential SNAP halt
https://www.nctv17.org/news/dupage-connects-residents-to-food-aid-amid-potential-snap-halt/amp/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Precinct Committeeperson Filings Show Democrats Vastly Outnumbering Republicans
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/11/01/precinct-committeeperson-filings-show-democrats-vastly-outnumbering-republicans/
— Harvard Fire Protection District Wishes for a 15% Property Tax Hike
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/11/01/harvard-fire-protection-district-wishes-for-a-15-property-tax-hike/
— McHenry County GOP Headquarters Expands Hours
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/11/01/mchenry-county-gop-headquarters-expands-hours/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

NEW YORK POST
— Top Democrats’ hateful rhetoric keeps stoking anti-ICE violence
https://nypost.com/2025/11/01/opinion/dem-leaders-outrageous-rhetoric-continues-to-stoke-anti-ice-violence/
— School districts adopting lefty prof’s curriculum teaching history through lens of oppression. DD: According to my critics/opponents, those who are liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, unmarried, LGBTQ, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, have less money than others, and/or are noncitizens are oppressed by those who are conservative, White, male, older, married, heterosexual, Protestant, German American, have ancestors who have been in America for a long time, have more money than others, and/or are citizens of America.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/01/us-news/public-school-districts-adopt-curriculum-from-org-named-for-60s-radical/

AMERICAN THINKER
— It’s past time to arrest politicians impeding immigration enforcement
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/11/it_s_past_time_to_arrest_politicians_impeding_immigration_enforcement.html

BREITBART
— Illinois Passes Law Preventing ICE Arrests in Courthouses
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2025/11/01/illinois-passes-law-preventing-ice-arrests-in-courthouses/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Democrats Want Open Borders; Most Americans Don’t
https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/11/01/democrats-want-open-borders-most-americans-dont/
— Are Americans Better or Worse Off Since January?
https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/11/01/are-americans-better-or-worse-off-since-january/
— The Literal ‘Skeletons’ in the Democrat Party’s Closet
https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/10/29/the-fresh-new-jacobin-faces-of-the-democrat-party/

FOX NEWS
— Public school districts coast to coast adopting radical curriculum from org named for 60s radical. Zinn Education Project boasts 176,000 teachers have downloaded more than 765,000 lessons for students from pre-K to grade 12. DD: My parents sending me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools put me on track to earn a bachelor’s degree, three master’s degrees, six professional certifications, and a professional license.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/public-school-districts-coast-coast-adopting-radical-curriculum-from-org-named-60s-radical
— Foreign charities dumped billions into US political advocacy groups to erode democracy
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bombshell-report-shows-foreign-charities-dumped-billions-us-political-advocacy-groups-erode-democracy
— Why blue states’ new anti-ICE laws are unconstitutional virtue signaling. New sanctuary law allows suspects to claim protection in buffer zones around state buildings.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/jonathan-turley-why-blue-states-new-anti-ice-laws-unconstitutional-virtue-signaling

INDIANA GAZETTE
— The lights are going out in blue America
https://www.indianagazette.com/opinion/cal-thomas-the-lights-are-going-out-in-blue-america/article_e6d870f5-adf5-4908-889e-0864318b369d.html

JONATHAN TURLEY
— Illinois Bars ICE Arrests in State Courthouses and Safe Zones.  DD: Anticipate/expect that Democrat leaders will ever-increasingly flood these safe zones with their illegals. How many safe zones are there in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://jonathanturley.org/2025/11/02/illinois-bars-ice-arrests-in-state-courthouses-and-safe-zones/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Illinois has now joined California and Connecticut in barring federal immigration agents from conducting “civil arrests” of illegal aliens in or around state courthouses. The sanctuary law appears largely performative since it also appears unconstitutional. It is difficult to see how a state can bar the exercise of federal jurisdiction, at least after the Civil War. Gov. JB Pritzker has been ratcheting up the rhetoric against ICE and the Trump Administration for months, including analogies to the Nazis and claims that democracy is dying. The new law, however, crosses the constitutional Rubicon by not only limiting the operation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) but also establishing a 1,000-foot “buffer zone” outside of buildings. The law makes courthouses equivalent to churches, where suspects can claim sanctuary not only when they cross the threshold but also within 1000 feet, unless, of course, ICE ignores the law. Recently, the chief judge in Cook County issued an order with the same prohibition. A few other judges in other states have issued similar orders.

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— From CRT to Campus Protest: The Making of a Mamdani Voter. DD: My parents sending me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools put me on track to earn a bachelor’s degree, three master’s degrees, six professional certifications, and a professional license.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2025/11/01/from_crt_to_campus_protest_the_making_of_mamdani_voter_153481.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Mamdani’s popularity is unsurprising – it reflects how my generation has been raised, educated, and conditioned to think. The reality is that when teachers support Mamdani and when teachers unions endorse him – as they have – students are not far behind. The New York State United Teachers and the United Federation of Teachers together represent nearly 700,000 members. Their financial and organizational backing carries enormous weight. When students see authority figures in their classrooms lining up behind a candidate, the lesson is clear: This is who “good people” support. The classroom, whether overtly political or not, becomes a training ground for a generation of activists shaped by their educators’ worldview.)

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Walmart pauses hiring candidates who need H-1B visa after Trump hikes fee. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, citizens of foreign countries ever-increasingly get preference over citizens of America. All my employers would hired citizens of foreign countries instead of me if they could have.
https://www.aol.com/articles/walmart-pauses-hiring-candidates-h-134319335.html

CNN
— ICE Agent Halloween Costumes Spark National Outrage. DD: Obviously, ICE officers are hated even more than IRS officers. I was an IRS Revenue Office for almost 9 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDQZSX01hbA

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Republicans for high health care costs.
https://apnews.com/article/health-care-subsidies-obamacare-shutdown-e94d96a8a837a5f7f681dc6893872d3b

AOL
— Most Americans Are Not Even Halfway to ‘Financial Happiness.’  DD: What did you do to qualify yourself for better paying jobs? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.aol.com/most-americans-not-even-halfway-162815644.html

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
— Why the American Dream Is Out of Reach – And How to Change That. What’s driving the pessimism, anger and apathy in young Americans? An affordability crisis. DD: My parents sending me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools put me on track to earn a bachelor’s degree, three master’s degrees, six professional certifications, and a professional license.
https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2025-10-27/american-dream-young-economy-crisis-gen-z

NEW YORK TIMES
— Under Trump, Becoming a U.S. Citizen Gets Harder. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, citizens of foreign countries ever-increasingly get preference over citizens of America. All my employers would hired citizens of foreign countries instead of me if they could have.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/us/politics/trump-citizenship.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly obstruct ICE operations.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/11/01/dhs-ice-border-patrol-chicago-tear-gas/

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly glorify and praise their illegals.
https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/11/01/a-dad-spent-ages-preparing-to-care-for-his-disabled-son-at-home-then-ice-took-him-into-custody/

FORTUNE
— ‘I would beg the president’: Jamie Dimon, one of Wall Street’s top H-1B visa users, predicts ‘pushback’ because big employers need top expertise. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, citizens of foreign countries ever-increasingly get preference over citizens of America. All my employers would hired citizens of foreign countries instead of me if they could have.
https://www.aol.com/finance/beg-president-jamie-dimon-one-164925984.html

INC.
— No. 1 Predictor of Financial Success. DD: What did you do to qualify yourself for better paying jobs? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/scientists-tracked-1-000-kids-for-40-years-this-was-the-no-1-predictor-of-financial-success/ar-AA1we4JB

ACCOUNTING TODAY
— Internal auditors expand their scope. DD: The internal auditing profession had no use for me because I did not a) start taking graduate evening accounting courses until I was 27, b) I did not take and pass the CPA examination until I was 30, c) I did not earn a master’s degree in accounting until I was 31, d) I did not take and pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination until I was 32, and e) I did not become a licensed CPA until I was 32. Further, the profession was under tremendous pressure to hire, to retain, and to promote young minorities and young females.
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/internal-auditors-expand-their-scope

GALLUP
— Americans’ Perceptions of Success in the U.S. DD: According to my critics/opponent, if you are a White male federal employee, you are not successful unless you make GS-13 ($117,807) by age 25, GS-14 ($139,211) by age 30, GS-15 ($163,749) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service ($195,200) by age 40. My critics/opponent stress that I did not make GS-13 until I was 38 and I was never promoted beyond that. In my defense, extremely few federal employees make the aforesaid deadlines. Further, the federal government is run by Democrats. They despise/hate Republicans, and especially Republicans like me who are conservative, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/266927/americans-perceptions-success.aspx

NEW YORKER
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly glorify and praise their illegals.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/critics-notebook/chicago-ice-and-the-lie-of-the-american-pastoral

ATLANTIC
— America’s ‘Marriage Material’ Shortage. DD: What helped make you marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $108,978/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening courses in accounting at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/02/america-marriage-decline/681518/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

PRESS GAZETTE
— Top 50 news websites in the US in September
https://pressgazette.co.uk/media-audience-and-business-data/media_metrics/most-popular-websites-news-us-monthly-3/

BUSINESS INSIDER
— US Chamber of Commerce sues Trump administration over $100,000 H-1B visa fee. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, citizens of foreign countries ever-increasingly get preference over citizens of America. All my employers would hired citizens of foreign countries instead of me if they could have.
https://www.aol.com/articles/us-chamber-commerce-sues-trump-192922705.html
— The 10 best and 10 worst states for finding a job right now. DD: From what I see, in Illinois, under the Democrats, ever-increasingly, the more of the following that you are, the harder it is to get/keep a good job: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, married, heterosexual, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/10-best-10-worst-states-130201181.html

ECONOMIC TIMES
— US lawmakers urge Trump to roll back H-1B visa crackdown, warn of impact on India ties. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, citizens of foreign countries ever-increasingly get preference over citizens of America. All my employers would hired citizens of foreign countries instead of me if they could have.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/latest-updates/us-lawmakers-urge-trump-to-roll-back-h-1b-visa-crackdown-warn-of-impact-on-india-ties/articleshow/125011150.cms
— Top research universities join US Chamber of Commerce to challenge $100,000 H-1B fee in court. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, citizens of foreign countries ever-increasingly get preference over citizens of America. All my employers would hired citizens of foreign countries instead of me if they could have.
https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/topstories/top-research-universities-join-us-chamber-of-commerce-to-challenge-100000-h-1b-fee-in-court/ar-AA1Pl2pk

FINANCIAL EXPRESS
— ‘Indian H-1B talent keeps US ahead in AI’: Lawmakers press Trump to withdraw visa curbs. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, citizens of foreign countries ever-increasingly get preference over citizens of America. All my employers would hired citizens of foreign countries instead of me if they could have.
https://www.financialexpress.com/business/investing-abroad/indian-h-1b-talent-keeps-us-ahead-in-ai-lawmakers-press-trump-to-withdraw-visa-curbs/4028591/

INDIA TODAY
— DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, citizens of foreign countries ever-increasingly get preference over citizens of America. All my employers would hired citizens of foreign countries instead of me if they could have.
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/indian-origin-woman-student-confronts-jd-vance-trump-immigration-policies-viral-video-2810768-2025-10-30

TIMES OF INDIA
— $800,000 shortcut: Wealthy Indians buying their way past H-1B hurdles. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, citizens of foreign countries ever-increasingly get preference over citizens of America. All my employers would hired citizens of foreign countries instead of me if they could have.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/800000-shortcut-wealthy-indians-buying-their-way-past-h-1b-hurdles/articleshow/125021183.cms
— America can’t sustain its success alone: Why H-1B bans threaten US jobs, research and the future workforce. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, citizens of foreign countries ever-increasingly get preference over citizens of America. All my employers would hired citizens of foreign countries instead of me if they could have.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/america-cant-sustain-its-success-alone-why-h-1b-bans-threaten-us-jobs-research-and-the-future-workforce/articleshow/125019769.cms

HINDUSTANN TIMES
— Anti-Indian move? Trump govt’s new ad targets foreign workers over H1-B visa abuse, ‘American Dream stolen’ DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, citizens of foreign countries ever-increasingly get preference over citizens of America. All my employers would hired citizens of foreign countries instead of me if they could have.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/antiindian-move-trump-govts-new-ad-targets-foreign-workers-over-h1-b-visa-abuse-american-dream-stolen-101762019154827.html

FROM OTHER SOURCES

GOOGLE AI
— Cars: Average Length of Ownership. DD: I have owned my 1972 Chevrolet Corvette since 1971, my 1996 Ford Thunderbird LX since 1995, my 2005 Corvette since 2005, my 2013 Dodge Charger R/T Max since 2012, my 2018 Chevrolet Cruze since 2022. my 2019 Ford Escape Titanium since 2019, my 2021 Chevrolet Malibu Premier since 2021, my 2023 Ford Mustang GT Premium since 2023, and my 2025 Charger Daytona R/T Plus since 2025. Please let me know if you share my interest in any of the aforesaid.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Cars+%22Average+Length+of+Ownership%22
— Class reunions. DD: Sadly, my interactions with my classmates were limited. I earned my three graduate degrees (Loyola, business, 1976; DePaul, accounting, 1980; and IIT, finance, 1997) by taking evening courses one at a time. During my first semester at NIU in 1969, I went home to Crete every weekend to keep my part-time Park Forest Post Office job. I lived with my parents and my brother in Crete while I took courses at UIC 1966-1968. During my junior and senior years at Crete-Monee High School, I washed dishes for the minimum wage in the basement of the S.S. Kresge in Chicago heights four evenings every week and Saturdays during the school years and full-time during the summer in between 1964-1966. My eight grade graduation was disrupted because Trinity Lutheran Church in Crete left the Missouri Synod when I was in eighth grade.
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22class+reunions%22+attend

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.