Bradlee Dean

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Dean's "The Sons of Liberty" booth at a 2012 rally
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Bradlee Dean is the founder of the non-profit Christian organization You Can Run, But You Cannot Hide International, a highly controversial youth speaking organization which has been accused of using bait-and-switch tactics to press a hardcore fundamentalist Christian agenda in American public schools.[1] He is also the drummer for the Junkyard Prophet, a hardline conservative Christian Rock band intertwined with his front organization,[2] and hosts a local right-wing radio show called The Sons of Liberty that is so out there[3] that it makes Michael Savage look like Noam Chomsky by comparison. Dean is also known for his close ties to Michele Bachmann, which says quite a lot about just how indecent both of them are,[4] and is also a contributor to WorldNetDaily and to Conservative News and Views, which furthers his street cred in the land of make believe.[5] Even some Republicans find him repulsive.[6]

Gay bashing[edit]

Promoting gay bashing is one of Dean's favorite pastimes. He has stated in the past that he supports castration of gays because, he claims, that's what the Founding Fathers wanted.[7] He's also stated on his radio show that gays should be "thrown in jail,"[8] and has also stated his opinion that he believes it was homosexuals who were responsible for the Holocaust and has praised Muslims for executing people for being gay.[9] Dean, himself, has expressed his opinion that he considers executing gay people to be "moral."[10][11] He is unique among even the most extreme gay bashers (e.g. Peter LaBarbera) for having no qualms with reposting articles by the infamous 'kill the gays' activist Theodore Shoebat.[12]

The Rachel Maddow Lawsuit[edit]

In 2011, he filed a lawsuit against liberal pundit Rachel Maddow (as well as Andy Birkey of the Minnesota Independent)[13] for defamation for having the gall to report on his gay-bashing agenda.[14] It is widely believed that, since numerous other liberal pundits have reported on his hatred of gays and lesbians, his lawsuit was specifically targeted at Maddow because she is an open lesbian.

In July 2012, the lawsuit was dismissed and Dean (and legal advisor Larry Klayman) were ordered to pay the legal fees of the defendants.[15] Their response? To demand that the judge who made the ruling should recuse herself due to her "extra-judicial bias and prejudice" against fundamentalist wingnuts conservative Christian activists.[16]

Later on, Dean then decided he wasn't going to obey a court order to pay Maddow's legal fees. His solution to the dilemma was to troll his listeners for donations in order to "help his lawsuit" (which seems to be pretty much beyond help in the first place) and "stand for America". He also offered a free gift in exchange, which probably comes down to an overstock CD of his earache-inducing hair metal.[17]

DOMA ruling reaction[edit]

His reaction was fairly typical, of course: predictions of bringing "another bout of devastation and destruction to America", "sexual indoctrination under 'Obama's sexualized curriculum'" (namely, the Personal Responsibility Education Program, which attempts to prevent teen pregnancy and STD transmission through educating teens on contraception and - surprise, surprise - abstinence) and other related terms of endearment.[17]

Minnesota legislature prayer[edit]

On May 20, 2011, Dean was invited by the Minnesota Republican Party to lead the ceremonial prayer at the start of the Minnesota House's legislative session. The day's business had, ironically, been discussion of a proposed amendment to ban gay marriage. However, Dean's prayer (go figure) had turned fiercely partisan and wound up with, amongst other things, wanting only to recognize Christian members of the legislature and him accusing Barack Obama of being a Muslim.[18] This led to so much outrage that the Speaker of the House (Kurt Zellers) ordered a complete re-start of the session with a new prayer by the regular House Chaplain.[19] A speech was then given by Democratic Rep. Terry Morrow lambasting the Republicans for allowing the prayer[20] and was followed by an apology by Republican House Speaker Zellers himself.[21]

On the other hand, if you guessed that his reaction to Minnesota's legalization of gay marriage in May 2013 involved what can be accurately termed a highly entertaining meltdown, you're right.[22]

YouTube whitewashing[edit]

Since October, 2011, Dean has tried to censor his critics on YouTube through copyright infringement claims,[23] thus leaving only his own words and propaganda behind on YouTube. Ironically, he's so off-the-wall that even his own videos don't help.[24]

My War[edit]

He's arrogant enough to have created his own movie about himself called My War,[25] -sharing a name with a Black Flag song about paranoia! Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Other fun stuff[edit]

Given his previously-stated views, it should come as no real shock that Dean is a creationist who is perfectly willing to stoop to Godwinning in order to make anti-evolution arguments.[26]

He also seems fond of making bizarre economic analogies concerning U.S. presidents from different centuries, vintage 80's-era tracksuits,[27] and utterly incomprehensible strings of numbers masquerading as statistical arguments.[28]

His understanding of constitutional law is funny, too, if your idea of "funny" is the rhetorical equivalent of a multiple car expressway pile-up.[29]

Sandy Hook shooting[edit]

True to form, he responded to the tragedy at Sandy Hook elementary by declaring that it was a government plot to take away yer guns!!![30]

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. A news story about Phelps, Wisconsin's experience
  2. Right Wing Rock Music
  3. Don't believe us? Enter his channel if you dare!
  4. They're this crazy
  5. His WorldNutDaily contributions
  6. TPM:MN GOP Warns College Republicans Not To Host Anti-Gay Preacher
  7. Don't believe us? Hear for yourself
  8. Again, in his own words
  9. According to Right Wing Watch
  10. http://lezgetreal.com/2011/06/bradlee-deans-moral-obligation-to-execute-gays-in-the-name-of-jesus/
  11. Bradless Dean article on ThinkProgress
  12. http://sonsoflibertymedia.com/lesbian-couple-adopts-young-boy-forces-homosexual/
  13. http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2011/11/22/bradlee-deans-idiotic-lawsuit-against-ainn/
  14. His lawsuit press conference
  15. http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2012/07/12/bradlee-dean-must-pay-legal-fees-in-idiotic-lawsuit/
  16. http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2012/07/13/dean-klayman-demand-recusal-of-judge/
  17. 17.0 17.1 Bradlee Dean: DOMA Ruling Will Bring 'Destruction to America' and Also Please Help My Maddow Lawsuit, Right Wing Watch
  18. http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2011/05/20/28497/legislative_firestorm_erupts_over_bradlee_deans_prayer
  19. Obama Not Christian Infers MN House Prayer, a full video of the events.
  20. Anger at Anti-Gay pastor's prayer
  21. The Zellers apology
  22. Bradlee Dean Has Epic Meltdown over Minnesota's Gay Marriage Law, Right Wing Watch
  23. Such as this youtube critic
  24. Such as this gay-bashing screed from his own YouTube channel.
  25. Official My War film website
  26. Bradlee Dean Blathers About Evolution, Dispatches from the Culture Wars
  27. Bradlee Dean Discovers the 21st Century, Dispatches from the Culture Wars
  28. Bradlee Dean Invents Pointless Statistics, Dispatches from the Culture Wars
  29. Dean's Constitutional Cluelessness, Dispatches from the Culture Wars
  30. According to Right Wing Watch