Our Region's MTGreenes

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-NW corner of Georgia) has achieved a sort of national infamy for her support of "disproven far-right conspiracy theories such as Pizzagate,[5] QAnon,[6] false flag shootings,[7][8] and 9/11 conspiracy theories.[7] Additionally, before running for Congress, she supported the execution of prominent Democratic politicians.[9] She also supported Trump's efforts to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election." (wikipedia, with references). Revelations around her whacko beliefs led to the U.S. House of Representatives stripping Greene of her committee assignments by a vote of 230-199 on February 4 with 11 Republican House members voting with Democrats.

On account of the nationalization of the news coverage we in the Inland Northwest might complacently imagine that we must look thousands of miles diagonally across our country to find an elected official as deluded as Ms. Greene. On the contrary, as I wrote last Wednesday, February 24, the Inland Northwest may be a net exporter of conspiracy theories and conspiracy theorists.

We gained unwelcome national attention last fall with incumbent WA State Republican Rep. Jenny Graham's (LD6, SW Spokane Co. wrapping 3/4 of the way around the City of Spokane) dustup with Daniel Walters, reporter for The Inlander, after he brought attention to Ms. Graham's sharing of QAnon conspiracy theories on Facebook. Regardless, Graham, as incumbent Republican State Representative, won the 2020 general election with 55% of the votes cast (the same percentage she garnered in the primary--before her QAnon dabbling was widely known). Are Republican voters 1) Oblivious to the news? or 2) Bought into conspiracy theories themselves? or 3) Vaccinated against voting for a Democrat by the conspiracy theories the Republican Party supports?

Matt Shea (now former State Rep. from LD4 (Spokane Valley north to Mt. Spokane) and Shea's hand-picked successor, Rob Chase, garnered similar dishonorable mention in the same September 15th, 2020, Washington Post article as Jenny Graham. Regardless, LD4 voters sent Mr. Chase to Olympia with an even greater percentage of the votes, 62%, than Graham drew in LD6. Chase not only dabbles in Alex Jones style conspiracy theorizing, but, after he was elected to the legislature in Olympia, Chase announced the appointment of Cecily Wright as his legislative assistant. Ms. Wright, former chairwoman of the Spokane Republican Party, with her husband are locally notorious for warmly hosting nationally recognized white supremacist James Allsup to their monthly gathering in Spokane Valley of "Northwest Grassroots". (See Spokane’s White Supremacists for additional information and links.)

Among these regional elected dabblers in fringe conspiracy theories none can hold a candle to the queen of whacko, Idaho State Representative Heather Scott from ID District 1 (Blanchard and Sandpoint north to the Canadian border). Her openness in espousal of fringe ideology is striking. Her wikipedia article, longer than most for a state representative, is a good place to become acquainted with her views, notoriety, and media coverage since her election in 2014.

I've copied below part of an article published in the Bonner County Daily Bee on February 16, 2021, entitled "Scott talks gun rights, insurrection," to offer a flavor of what passes for reality with Heather Scott:

A live meeting with constituents over Zoom had Rep. Heather Scott,, R-Blanchard, talking about gun rights, the federal prosecution of insurrectionists and warning those in the call against public education.

One of the biggest topics of the night, gun rights, was brought up in several questions throughout the video call.

Some constituents expressed concerns over whether President Joe Biden might sign an executive order restricting gun rights.

“I do not see any [executive orders] on guns, but apparently, Biden has made some comments that he wants Congress to take up gun legislation,” Scott said. “That's what we're all afraid of. They're coming for our guns and I keep telling people, by the time they come for our guns it's going to be too late.”

Scott encouraged those on the call to look into the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance, a group that describes itself as a “no-compromise” gun rights organization. Others, Scott said, are not.

“You can forget about the NRA,” she said.

In response to a question about “red flag laws” — laws that would allow police or family members to petition the state to temporarily remove firearms from someone deemed to be a danger to themselves or others — Scott said there are “many” attempts to push them through, which have been largely unsuccessful.

Still, Scott said, she believes there is an ongoing threat to gun rights.

Scott also discussed federal prosecution of insurrectionists at the Capitol building in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, acknowledging the Sandpoint man who was arrested Friday in connection with the insurrection.

“I don't know if he did something bad there or if he just went to protest, but he's been [charged] with an insurrection. This is a huge problem,” she said. “We don't have to agree with everything government says or does. And so — but they are going to start tightening the screws on American citizens and free speech.”

Although there are currently no federal offenses designated for “domestic terrorism” without connection to a foreign entity, Scott said she’s concerned that if one is added it would allow the government to infringe on citizens’ rights.

“The Biden administration says he's going after domestic terrorists. The concern is they are going to get rid of that international tie to call you a domestic [terrorist],” she said. “What that will do is that will make every single person that says something they don't like a domestic terrorist.”

Scott criticized Gov. Brad Little on multiple occasions, saying that he, and many of the state legislators are not truly conservative — and claimed many politicians to be influenced by globalism and corporate interests through lobby groups.

“The governor is part of the [National] Governors Association,” she said. “The National Governors Association, guess who they have a new partnership with? The World Economic Forum … It's the globalists that are basically running the governors.”

Scott went on to make the unsubstantiated claim that the group, or globalists, were responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic and are planning a cyber attack.

“They are the ones that came out with COVID. And they are the ones that are coming out with a cyber attack,” she said. “They just said COVID is going to be nothing compared to the cyber attack coming.”

Throughout the meeting, Scott said she believes Idaho is not conservative, and that within the Idaho Legislature she estimates there are “probably three” conservatives in the Senate, and “maybe 20, 25,” in the House.

She also blamed other legislators for a lack of legislative progress; namely Republican representative Fred Wood, for not hearing bills by more conservative legislators.

“[He] will not hear any bills about vaccinations or the health districts or anything,” she said.

In response to questions about education, Scott said she believes college to serve only as “indoctrination.”

“I would not send my kids to college, I would find another route,” she said. “I feel the same way about public schools, unfortunately.”

One caller asked whether there would be “consequences” for Gov. Little banning hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 and the deaths from the virus during that time.

Hydroxychloroquine, which was touted as a treatment for COVID-19 by former President Donald Trump, despite a lack of evidence.

“It's just not, it's not going to get better,” she said. “We're not going to just do this and it's all going to be fixed. It's going to take a lot more than that. And I hope it doesn't take blood but I'm, I'm beginning to wonder.”Absorb that. "The globalists" are responsible for Covid-19 and are planning a cyberattack. That's straight out of New World Orderconspiracism spouted from Fundamentalist (Evangelical) pulpits obsessing on End Times theology. More subtle but equally chilling is Scott's declaration that public education serves only as "indoctrination." This is from the mouth of a woman with a B.A. in Biology from the University of Akron, a credible institution of higher learning, a woman who worked as a fisheries and aquatic biologist for 15 years. When did she conclude that much of her earlier life consisted of "indoctrination"? What is her life story? Did she undergo a conversion experience to the Fundamentalist End Times theology that her comrade-in-arms, former WA State Rep Matt Shea now preaches from his new position as pastor of the Covenant Church?

We in the Inland Northwest need not gaze toward NW Georgia and Marjorie Taylor Greene to see the mind rot afflicting our nation. This whacko ideas espoused by Ms. Greene took root long ago in fertile ground among the elected officials of our own region. Take note. Spread the word.

Keep to the high ground,

Jerry