I just sent the below email to Minnesota House Majority Leader Matt Dean, regarding his attack yesterday on author Neil Gaiman. I encourage you all to do the same. You can contact Dean here: rep.matt.dean@house.mn

Mr. Dean:

I’m a Minnesota resident. Your attack on author Neil Gaiman is utterly inappropriate, immature and reprehensible. Publicly saying you hate any private citizen, and calling them names, is completely out of line. That you are doing it to one who has so greatly contributed to the state’s renown as a hotbed for the arts is particularly unfortunate.

Please note that ALL of the money Gaiman made from the speaking engagement in question was donated to charity. Gaiman regularly speaks for free around the state. The prices he is paid for speaking engagements is high because he is in such great demand that he prices them high to avoid getting a lot of them. This would be an example of free market economics in action, which is a concept you presumably believe in. It is not an example of “theft” as you disingenuously claim.

You can and should read more of Gaiman’s thoughts on the speaking engagement in question here:

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2010/05/political-football-in-teacup.html

and

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2011/05/opinions-of-pencil-necked-weasel-thief.html

You should be ashamed of yourself. Grow up and stop acting like a playground bully. Be a man, and give the man a public apology.

Sincerely,

Steven Stwalley
Webmaster, The International Cartoonist Conspiracy, cartoonistconspiracy.com

UPDATE: Gaiman has also responded in City Pages.

UPDATE 2: Dean has apologized for the name-calling (thanks for passing that on in the comments, Charles), but not for completely misrepresenting the situation. So, he still needs to be hassled. My email bounced (hopefully because his email box is filled up with angry letters about this), but I will try and send it again later.