The Attempted Purge of

“America’s Bishop”

Bishop Joseph Strickland

11-12-23 | JoAnn Fleming

The enemy is already here.

Make no mistake.  What just happened to a Bible-believing, Christ-KNOWING Catholic Bishop in the pseudo fairy-tale city of Tyler, Texas, is part of a PURGE – a purge planned and orchestrated by global elites determined to force everybody to accept all manner of chosen deviancy as normal, acceptable, faux god-approved behavior dressed up in “me-ism” – the first doctrine of moral relativism.

The purge’s mission is to rid this world of any who dare speak boldly about the existence of absolutes.

Removal of absolute Truth blesses prideful, pleasure-seeking hedonism.

Hedonism eats the soul, creating hopeless victims who create ever more miserable victims. It’s an evil spawned in Hell and distributed by rebellious evil-doers motivated to win a spiritual battle they can never eternally win.

On Saturday, November 11, 2023, the purge hit very close to home.  We learned that the fiercely brave, yet gentle giant – Tyler’s Tweeting Bishop Joseph Strickland had been fired by the Pope. Why? Strickland refused to recant, apologize, or resign.

Though we prayed it would not be so, this was inevitable – for Joseph Strickland is a man of God who long ago counted the cost of truly following Jesus.  He believes with every fiber of his being and to the uttermost depths of his soul that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life, yesterday, today and forever. He can do no less than submissively serve his King and Master – no matter the cost.

Bishop Strickland often said, “All the efforts to change and twist the truth will fall to dust.”  This reality is indelibly engrained in his being.  He cannot shirk from it.  He cannot sit quietly by while others dilute the Cause and Ways of Christ.

What were Joseph Strickland’s “crimes” you might ask?  He dared say aloud that desecrating human life will have consequences. He dared call abortion murder and publicly called for the Church to denounce Biden’s fake Catholicism. In May, Strickland wrote on the X social media platform, “I believe Pope Francis is the Pope, but it is time for me to say that I reject his program of undermining the Deposit of Faith. Follow Jesus.”  Then, Strickland dared join the June 16 protest at Dodger Stadium, denouncing the mocking, vilely blasphemous Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence – a troupe of drag queens. This is when the Vatican pressure unmistakably escalated against Bishop Strickland.

Bottom line – Joseph Strickland dared to speak out against evil – especially the kind that destroys children. Joseph Strickland’s true north is always Christ, and as he stands against evil, he never fails to point mankind to Christ as the ONLY source of Truth.  Strickland’s unrelenting focus on the Christ of Holy Scripture (not the man-made, “rabbit’s foot” jesus) got him into trouble.

We admire Joseph Strickland and thank God for his courageous devotion to Christ and his visibly courageous active faith. He fears God rather than man.  How refreshing!

Frankly, it is the deepest prayer of our hearts that strong, brave Christian men would rise up to join Joseph Strickland.  Our culture, our local community, Texas, and our nation are crumbling for lack of strong, wise, vocal manly men!

Those who claim Christ are the least Christ-like when they embrace a God-less culture because of sheer cowardice. Silence from Christian pulpits in the face of our nation’s cultural rot is blasphemous to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit they claim to serve.

Condoning sin because it is chic, trendy, popular, and applauded is weakness cloaked in counterfeit love. Stripped down, it is a determined, yet futile prideful rebellion against God’s Ways. The Lord God Almighty will not change His mind about willful sin – any willful, unrepentant sin – no matter how loud the demon-inspired protests to Truth become nor how much society excuses and glorifies that sin.

We are so happy and blessed to know a man who will not recant the Truth established in his heart by His Lord and Savior.  God’s Ways are alive in the heart of Joseph Strickland and the Peace of Christ rests upon him.

No doubt, at the end of his earthly sojourn, Joseph Strickland will hear Christ Jesus warmly say,  “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Those with the spiritual eyes to “see” and the spiritual ears to “hear,” understand all that they are  discerning. They know the hour.

The enemy is already here. 

We are to occupy until King Jesus returns – not pacify.  The purge only works if we are intimidated into silent acceptance.

May you boldly seek the Author and Finisher of the only faith that will stand.

Lately, we’ve received many inquiries from other groups about “how to work with JoAnn and Grassroots America.” 

It’s really pretty simple:

Don’t lie.

Don’t steal other people’s stuff.

Don’t trash other grassroots conservatives from your social media sandbox. 

Since our Executive Director has been back out on the road speaking, we’ve had several requests for “Can you send me that funny thing JoAnn said again?” or “What was that Fleming rule of life again?”

She’s an extemporaneous speaker, so who knows? Here’s JoAnn’s updated Wit & Wisdom for Leading from the Front. 

You don’t have to blow out the other person’s light to let your own shine. Bernard Baruch

JoAnn’s Wit & Wisdom

 for Leading from the Front

updated 9.20.23

The battlefield is the mind. This is where satan (and his instruments) attempt to distract from your calling.  Keep your eyes on The Standard to run your race with wisdom, patience, perseverance, and the ability to ignore naysayers, chronic malcontents, toxic do-nothings, and vocal enemies who will only weigh you down.  Fix your mind. Keep it set.  Do not faint in your mind!  Hebrews 12:1-3

Noise and knowledge are different things. Wisdom speaks the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason.

The definition of “integrity” is the distance between what you say you believe and what you actually do about it.

Real LEADERS don’t care what haters think and say. Real leaders don’t ask permission to do the right thing, nor do they ask forgiveness for doing it.

Political groupies, who treat all elected Red Team members as rock gods and would never, ever dare to object to anything the Red Team does, are mirror images of the WOKE Left and every bit as dangerous to Liberty. Yep, I mean that.

The political gospel of unity demands that we accept, embrace, and reward all manner of infidelity to liberty principles. Thus, Freedom is murdered – not in one fatal blow – but by a thousand disloyal cuts.  

“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” Winston Churchill

The people who “pay the freight” in sweat equity and sacrifice, make the rules. 

When folks are just bound and determined to act like the south end of a north bound mule – stand back and let ‘em.

Don’t waste time crying over anything that won’t cry over you.

Don’t trade squirts with a dumb, smelly skunk.  It wastes your time and makes you stink too. 

In negotiations, never play all your best cards at once.

When a decent, principled person is in the wrong – during a confrontation – leave them a back door to get out of and you will win a lasting ally. Humiliation, like a hammer, should never be the first “correction” tool you grab. 

If the mind is willing and the mission righteous, the courageous can go on and on without many things. 

Identify “walking” billboards. Deploy effectively.

Don’t waste time wishing for a better hand. Play the heck out of what you’ve got.

Don’t be duped by propaganda masquerading as “consensus building.” Some people love the idea of “unity” so much that they’ll doubt a calculator if enough “cool” people disagree with it.

Do good work. Without ceasing, nudge others to be better than they ever imagined.

Never simply check a box. Excellence does not live there.

Let your word be your word. Move Heaven and earth to keep promises. Just get it done.

Stop wasting time waiting for “fairness.”  Doing so assures mission fail.

Living for revenge rots your life and makes your days bitter. Know that every injustice will be made finally and completely right in God’s Courtroom, in His time.

People cannot do what they do not know. Set your standards high once you give your people the tools, the training, and consistent direction. Maintain those standards!

If you perpetually play ping-pong with indecisiveness, You. Are. Random. The safest place for you to be is Off. My. Lawn.

If you want help, define the problem in a one-pager by stating the problem; defining its urgency, and presenting a workable solution based on liberty principles, which are rooted in biblical values. If you can’t put what you want in writing, you aren’t ready to ask for help.

A person, a community, a state, a nation is defined by what it tolerates.

Party unity without accountability is like a bucket of water with a hole in it.

Never react in a way that harms your team’s interests. The scariest people are not those who can be baited into losing control, but the ones who cannot. Pick your fight. Fight smart. Fight to win.  

Thank God for every trial. Praise Him in spite of the pain. Trust Him in all things.

Save yourself extra trips around a hard mountain – learn the Lord’s tough lessons by doing things His Way – the first time.

Faith means do it afraid. Behind the seeming randomness of life is a God who is in control even when we are not.

Lasting success is not measured by the number of followers you have on social media, how many likes, shares or reposts. Lasting success comes from the difference you make in the life of a person each and every time you help them see and become what God uniquely created them to be.

Before you start your day and when you end it, make sure you possess the Right Light and The Only Compass.

Mind how you go. Don’t sit on the sidelines.

Republicans Need to Lead on Property Taxes, Not Bicker About It.

Konni Burton, Founder and CEO, The Texan

Everything is bigger in Texas and — as every homeowner knows — that includes our property taxes.

Texans have long demanded relief, but this legislative session is already nearing its end and we still have no idea if the Republican controlled Senate and House will come to an agreement on the type of appraisal reform offered — if any.

Unfortunately, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Speaker Dade Phelan are publicly feuding over the path forward to reforming taxes and appraisals, while Gov. Greg Abbott has talked up a good game but offered no actual game plan.

Patrick claims the public is on his side by pointing to a poll released this past week by the Texas Association of Property Tax Professionals. But upon closer look, the poll actually shows Texans would welcome either chamber’s appraisal reform plan.

During my time in the Senate, I saw this same kind of feuding between Lt. Gov. Patrick and then Speaker Joe Straus. It’s a ridiculous game of cat and mouse between the House and Senate to see who will blink first over each chamber’s priority legislation. And this “competition” festers and rears its ugly head among the state reps and senators too. There’s retribution, stalling, and childish antics between the two chambers when each doesn’t get their way.

I hated it then, and I hate it now.

So it comes as no surprise that they’re at it again. What is so frustrating to me is, this isn’t the typical Republican vs. Democrat major policy disagreements that we’d all expect, but rather Republicans fighting each other on an issue that they should gladly be working together on to solve!

Republican leadership and Republican elected officials need to set aside personal egos and show voters they are united and working together to solve this pressing issue for their fellow Texans.

Republicans have all three branches in Texas government and have had for at least 20 years now. But if Patrick and Phelan want to keep the political map from looking as blue as the weather map in February 2021, then they need to stop this public squabbling and show voters Republicans can work together, not act like quarreling children.

It is time they get in a room, talk face to face, and come to an agreement on relieving the crushing weight of property taxes. And frankly, if they don’t initiate it on their own, Gov. Abbott needs to step in and make it happen.

There is good news. They both actually already agree on a major component of the property tax plan. The bad news is that both men seem hell bent on digging in their heels over one aspect of it — with the possibility of derailing it all.

From the Battle of the Alamo to the discovery of oil at Spindletop, Texans have a proud history of tackling tough problems head-on. The property tax problem is no different and Republicans need to show us they are united.

We have a massive budget surplus. We have a bureaucracy with more state boards and commissions than the number of counties in Texas.

It shouldn’t be that hard for Republicans to unite on reining in our bloated government and take the burden off of everyday Texans. And when they do that, they’ll secure the Republican majority for years to come.

Government is the servant, not the master of the People! 
Assume the role of master before it’s too late.

 JoAnn Fleming, Executive Director, Grassroots America – We the People

“Government is the people’s business, and every man, woman and child becomes a shareholder with the first penny of tax paid. With all the profound wording of the Constitution, probably the most meaningful words are the first three, ‘We, the People.’” – Ronald Reagan

A community, a state, a nation is known for what it tolerates. The independence of a free people is utterly dependent upon the principle “Government is the servant and not the master of the people.”

Both sides of the servant/master equation are at fault for the mess we find ourselves in today.  

First, too many elected officials don’t believe they are public servants. They believe they are our all-knowing, enlightened masters and are either ignorant of their statutorily-mandated duty to conduct open government and to hear our redress of grievances against them, or they willfully, wantonly ignore that duty and behave as if they are accountable to no one – least of all the taxpaying rabble.

Then there’s the amiable, “nice guy/gal” types who just aren’t used to swimming with political sharks, are easily buffaloed by people with law degrees, just want to be loved, enjoy being in the “cool” group, and soon find they are in over their heads. The result? An elitist oligarchy that starts conducting the people’s business in back rooms just because they’ve come to believe they are smarter than the people who pay the freight, and they figure somebody in the justice system will always be there to save their bacon.

This is how we’ve completely lost sight of the American Revolutionary War principle of Liberty found in our Declaration of Independence.  We have lost “Consent of the Governed” in our local communities, in Texas, and in this nation, leaving government to stomp all over our liberty and pillage our children’s heritage for Big Government Utopias we never asked for.

The second ingredient in this toxic, public corruption-breeding stew is the fact that most people do not see themselves as the masters. Most people – the intended Masters of Government – fall into at least five discernible categories:

1) the ignorant, who just don’t know any better;

2) the afraid, who fear business or social retribution for speaking out against the local ruling class;

3) the clueless groupies, who treat all elected officials as rock gods and would never, ever dare object to anything they do – especially if the officials are Republican;

4) the cronies, who love sloppy, stupid government as long as their head can be in the trough and their pocketbooks on the receiving end of special deals; and

5) the above-it-all detached ostriches who just don’t give a rat’s rear end.

Under the Austin Pink Dome, special interests abound, unconstitutional retroactive bills to distribute corporate welfare are signed into law, the state pours money into “Welfare for Sports and Big Tech,” and powerful legislators in both parties manipulate the system and profit from it.  Meanwhile, we’re still begging for secure elections, property tax relief, accountability for public schools, and for somebody, somewhere to stop groomers, pedophiles, and pointy headed educrats from corrupting our children with deviant smut.

In Washington, DC, federal officials shred the US Constitution every day, and leadership for both parties just stand by and let it happen.

Local government officials tell you that your county, city, school district, fill-in-the-blank special taxing district is as “lean” as it can be with no waste.  They declare they’ve cut your taxes and that taxpayer-funded bonds for noble causes will only cost you pennies, yet your property tax bills keep skyrocketing.

Tolerating political chicanery and unbridled corruption will get you more of the same, and in bolder, bigger doses.  When will you decide you’ve had enough?

Grassroots America believes YOU can, and YOU must hold elected officials accountable. Our mission is to empower, educate, and unite those citizens who care about their children, grandchildren, and Liberty; those who do care about Truth; and those who are sick of the mess we find ourselves in.

If you’re fed up, sign up for our alerts. Attend a meeting. Raise your hand.

“As long as rulers are above the law, citizens have the same type of freedom
that slaves of any era had on days when their masters chose not to beat them.”
James Bovard