Ed Brayton

{{internet}}
'''Ed Brayton''' {{lived|1968|2020}}<ref>[https://cfimichigan.org/brayton-memorial/ In Memory of Ed Brayton]. Center For Inquiry Michigan, 2020.</ref><ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2020/08/13/ed-brayton-has-died/ PZ Myers: Ed Brayton has died]</ref> was a [[civil rights|civil libertarian]] blogger and former comedian who wrote at ''Dispatches from the Culture Wars''. He specialized in civil rights issues, particularly [[police]] misconduct, [[education]] policy, and transparency in [[government]]. He also had a soft spot for crazy ideologues, namely [[Joseph Farah]] and his [[WorldNetDaily|menagerie]].

Brayton's blog was the main [[ScienceBlogs]] political journal, but after [[National Geographic]] acquired the network, he founded [[Freethought Blogs]] together with a few other bloggers, including [[PZ Myers]], and moved his main blogging activities there. In August 2015, he moved his blog once again, to [[Patheos]].

Brayton and Myers were the two main founders of the Freethought Blogs collective. Though Ed and his readers had a brief feud with [[PZ Myers]] and his readers some time ago (mainly over framing issues), the hatchet has long since been buried in some [[RationalWiki|concern troll]]'s skull.

Brayton and Myers agreed the [[freethought]] movement should not have been dominated by aging white men like themselves.  Both strongly supported the view that Freethought Blogs should have provided a platform for others, notably sex positive [[feminism|feminists]]. Brayton was willing to accept some controversy to achieve this.<ref>[http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2012/12/27/it-appears-ive-started-an-atheist-cult/ That’s not a “response”, Michael, it’s a “denial”]</ref>

Brayton asked for financial help with a lawsuit he said was over a [[white supremacy|white supremacist]] objecting to being called a white supremacist.<ref>[http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2014/04/14/please-help-me-fight-a-lawsuit/#more-27124 Please Help Me Fight a Lawsuit]</ref>

== Critical Analysis of Evolution ==

According to Brayton, the critical analysis of [[evolution]] is the fourth stage in the development of the anti-evolution movement in schools, which he believes to be the [[creationism]] ''du jour'' following the failure of [[intelligent design]] in ''[[Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District]]''. The first stage was censorship of evolution in schools (''e.g.'', the {{wpl|Butler Act}}), the second stage [[Creation Science]], and the third stage [[Intelligent Design]].

==See also==
*[[Culture war]]

==External links==
* [http://www.patheos.com/blogs/dispatches/ Dispatches From the Culture Wars] at Patheos
* [http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches Dispatches from the Creation Wars], the old blog at Science Blogs, closed in 2011
* [http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2012/11/03/my-rational-wiki-entry/ Ed corrects the record on his feud with PZ]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnsJGakj1io Ed Brayton on the anti-evolution movement]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J5TYsHKgYY&NR=1 Ed Brayton on the beginning fourth phase]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{stub|internet}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brayton, Ed}}
[[Category:Atheists]]
[[Category:Bloggers]]
[[Category:Libertarians]]

Categories: Atheists, Bloggers, Libertarians