QAnon Makes It To Capitol Hill
Congress now has members who support this radical conspiracy theory
A QAnon flag flown at the infamous capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
March 3, 2021
The culture of the United States legislature is similar to the United States as a whole: A melting pot of opinions and worldviews. The current Congress has representatives who support a wide range of ideas such as conservatism, liberalism, socialism, and support for QAnon. The 117th Congress has yielded a representative from Georgia- Marjorie Taylor Greene- who openly supports the ideas of QAnon and its followers, the first to bring the ideas front and center in the House.
What Is QAnon?
In a simple explanation, QAnon is an umbrella term for online theories about an alleged deep state organization composed of political “elites”, business owners, and Hollywood celebrities. The central theory that started “Q” claims those groups are in a satanic society of pedophiles that are waging a secret war against Donald Trump, and democracy as a whole. Some of their other beliefs are the idea that school shootings are faked by the satanic society and perpetuating the anti-semitic theory of blood libel. These ideas are relatively uncommon in the American political sphere, but they are gaining traction in the realm of social media.
How Did It Become So Popular?
An app called “Parler” which regards itself as a free speech forum, has been the home of the growing QAnon support on the internet. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who represents Georgia in the US House, advertised her campaign on the app to connect with like-minded people. Greene is the most outspoken supporter of “Q” in congress, but she is not the only one.
What Political Figures Support QAnon?
Marjorie Greene, who represents Georgia’s 14th congressional district, is by far the most well-known congressman to introduce “Q’s” unorthodox opinions in the U.S Legislature. She is, however, not the only one. Lauren Boebert, from Colorado’s 3rd congressional district, is another QAnon ally in the House of Representatives. Both women were elected in the 2020 general election and new in Congress, and both are making a big splash with a mere two months in office. Boebert has already sponsored 50 bills and resolutions to date and Greene has sponsored 30. Even though Greene has gotten right to work in the House, she was stripped of all her committee assignments for promoting dangerous, insensitive, and bigoted conspiracy theories.
Why is QAnon dangerous?
QAnon is often called a “dangerous cult” because of its decidedly radical words and actions. The main danger stemming from such conspiracy is the distrust of our government it cultivates among its supporters. QAnon has also been deemed partially responsible for the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6. The paranoia and misinformation added with each new theory further fractures this nation into a political war.
