The Stalking of Andy Stephenson

[guruoo]

The Stalking of Andy Stephenson

Did Stevenson Die because of medical care delays caused by rabid right wing hate?

by Elizabeth Ferrari


I have lived for the last ten weeks with Andy Stephenson’s cancer. And in the most useless way. I couldn’t take it away, couldn’t relieve him of it, couldn’t mind it for a few hours so he could be freed to do the election reform work he so loved.

Andy was one of the most luminous people I have never met, because we never shared room temperature. I read his posts to a discussion board, then exchanged email with him. Later, when he was casting around for access to medical care, we had phone contact, increasingly as his situation became more obviously urgent.

<snip>

I had little real success in finding resources for Andy, except in the sense that we widened the circle of friends who helped us look. One of them struck gold, and was able to get Andy taken on as a patient by a respected doctor at Johns Hopkins. This seemed no less than a miracle to us. There are many cancer patients in the world and no matter their net worth, they are not taken on easily by doctors at Johns Hopkins.

<snip>

I was in no way prepared for what followed. And, although I have no proof, what followed was a concerted political attack on Andy, on our progressive community, and especially on our ability to raise funds for our projects, as well as an attack on Andy’s productive work as an elections reform activist and watchdog.

What followed was a coordinated effort to block Andy’s medical care or his benefit from the medical care we could secure for him. In specific, the opposition had its agents make small donations so they could then call Paypal with allegations of fraud that froze Andy’s account. They also called Paypal, misrepresenting themselves as the hospital, to “verify” that this effort was a scam.

And it got more vicious from there. Due to the frozen
funds – exacerbating Johns Hopkins' mislaying of a deposit check -- and the confusion it caused us all, Andy’s surgery date was canceled by Johns Hopkins. It was with great difficulty that we were able to persuade the doctor to be put Andy back into the surgical rotation. That cost him two weeks while he suffered from the most aggressive, invasive form of cancer.

The smears and the rumors were seeded all over the internet. Ill, on hold waiting for his surgery, Andy and the rest of us cast about trying to answer questions that were more often simply calculated accusations meant to discredit us all, meant to make Andy’s health care as difficult as possible.

Complete story here:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_elizabet_050714_the_stalking_of_andy.htm

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. That any of that happened is a embarrassment to human kind.

Shit like that doesn't happen in a civilized world.

[madeline_con]

2. "... concerted political attack on Andy..."

There are a few of the PNAC signers who graduated from some college of political corruption at John's Hopkins...

Could be, your claim has a lot of merit.

[Lindacooks]

3. There HAS to be some legal recourse for this.

Those cowardly right wing bastards should pay, dearly, for their hateful actions.

[aquart]

4. I'm pretty unimpressed with Johns Hopkins, too.

But that's just me.

[guruoo]

6. If they did this to a member of my family...

First step is to identify, then expose
the individuals responsible for this.

[EFerrari]

17. We know who the ringleaders are.

Next step is to let people absorb our loss.

Then, to get busy.

[silverweb]

5. Unbelievable.

There is nothing that can explain such despicable, vicious, unspeakable behavior except pure hatred and evil.

I can't even begin to imagine how these loathsome creatures characterize themselves and their motives.

[Skittles]

12. they posted trash in Khephra's online memorial site

stuff they had to know his family would read - freepers are the lowest of the low; simply put they are sick bastards

[mogster]

18. Skittles, where is that site

I'd like to see it, didn't know there was one :-)
PM me if you don't want to attract more lurking freeps to it.

[MelissaB]

20. I didn't know that...

It says a lot about them.

[silverweb]

34. Un-f**king-believable!

They are putrid slime. There is no conceivable motive for their actions other than pure hatred and evil.

[DELUSIONAL]

7. I really hate these people --

I had no idea Andy's stalking was so intense.

Once postponing the surgery and then they managed to postpone the post operative care -- and together these may have contributed to his leaving us far too soon.

I have no comprehension of how the minds of bush cultist work . . .

All I know is that I really hate these people -- and if there is some way to make them pay for the evil that they did to this one human being.

I really hate these people --

Bush has brought out the very worst in his cult followers -- I wonder -- do these people go to church? Do they claim to be "chrisitians?

They must hate democracy -- they must hate America.

I can now imagine how it must have been during Hitler's rise to power -- his brown shirts going after anyone who dares to criticize their "god".

The first stalkers of the bush cultist variety -- that crowd that shut down the vote count during the 2000 election vote count in Florida. And many of the creeps in that photo have been rewarded for their actions by Der Bushita.

[aquart]

13. And of all the people to idolize!

Spoiled, worthless, rich boy ne'er do well.

[CTyankee]

31. People who put T shirts reading God Hates Fags

on their little children and then takes pictures of them. These extremely horrible people are the ones we are talking about. They are sick. I hope we can publicize their sick work for what it is and turn public approval away from them and their irreligious ideas.

[proud2BlibKansan]

35. Do you think they are involved in this?

Wow. They just protested at a church right up the street from me.

Were they at Andy's service the other day?

[tsuki]

8. Those people are scary and need to be named. Everyone who participated.

[guruoo]

14. A good place to start

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1408830/posts

[kaygore]

9. Andy's story only emphasizes how evil these people are

If we ever had any doubts, their attacks on Andy reveal people who have no souls, people so devoid of any humanity that I can only pity them. The Hell that awaits them is far more terrible than the hell that they put Andy and the rest of us who were praying for Andy through.

[Generic Other]

10. I hope the stalkers save this article for their scrapbooks

Make it easier for them to remember one of the meanest, lowest moments of their lives.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. The people at the top set the tone

That has been my experience in every school, church, job, or community that I have lived in.

With the hate-corroded Bush administration in the White House, the cruel, the vindictive, the sociopathic, and the chronically angry feel free to do whatever they please.

I just finished watching the POV documentary The Fire Next Time on our local PBS station, all about how a right-wing land developer bought a radio station in Kalispell, Montana and started ranting daily about environmentalists ("Green Nazis") and the U.N., holding public events such as shooting up a U.N. flag, and intimidating a teacher who tried to reason a student out of some crackpot statement.

There was footage of a public meeting about forest management in which some hotheads walked out yelling obscenities because they weren't allowed to speak first. Tires were punctured, families were threatened with gruesome violence, and the radio station allowed high school students to be guest DJs as a way of recruiting them to extreme right-wing ideology.

People interviewed for the documentary, including some traditional Republicans caught in the middle, were bewildered by what had happened to their town, and why people couldn't discuss issues calmly anymore.

If I had been there, I could have told them. What happened is that we have a bunch of sociopaths in the White House who care only about power and money, and they have their errand boys in the media, especially on AM radio, channeling the justifiable anger of working class and rural listeners toward the wrong targets.

The more sophisticated sociopaths amuse themselves by tormenting good people.

[FizzFuzz]

30. perfect analysis

You are always right on, LL

:applause:

[nicknameless]

15. FWIW, I've started a thread that might give some insight

about the misanthropes.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4126911

[CoffeeCat]

16. Isn't it amazing...

...that one situation can bring out two diametrically opposed reactions in people?

A person is diagnosed with cancer and is in need of assistance---

--DU steps up to the plate--providing support, kindness, compassion and thousands of dollars are raised to help a friend.

--FR and other fringe groups react with harsh and ill-informed criticisms, name-calling, lies, backbiting, and a total lack of empathy for the friend in need.

The Andy situation just put a magnifying glass over DU and FR. That's all.

We should not be surprised that the same situation brought out peace, kindness and generosity in DU--and venom in FR.

People (and people posting on Web sites) show their true character during moments like this.

[ScamUSA.Com]

25. I've seen the exact same thing happen before

the most insane disrespectful scene over $1500 raised for someone hernia surgery.

too many people likc to stick their nose where it doesn't belong

[atommom]

19. Crap. One of them has already posted in the "comments" section.

If the new version is the truth why am I, Beth’s boogey man, not in jail, not sued for everything I own, and not taken offline by my isp like she threaten to have done to me.

It is safe to say Beth Ferrari can't verify any of this op-ed nor can she verify how much money Andy collected before his apparent death.

She also can't prove there was ever a may 10th surgery or that Andy had been diagnosed with Cancer when she and others were collecting money, with his help, on those grounds.

Instead of proving anything she spent several hours creating this fairy tale about evil freepers.

It is obvious to those of us that have been paying attention Beth is desperate to obfuscate the truth because it is damning indeed. Sshe thinks it is always easy to vilify the right wing and has chosen to try and scapegoat them instead of fess up.


Unfortunately for her many lefties from DU and other progressive sites realize the damage she and Andy have done and we aren't letting it go unchecked.

OpedNews.com needs to remove this fiction and seriously consider legal action against Ms Ferrari for willfully putting the reputation of this site at risk by submitting a story she knew to be a total fabrication.

Sigh... :eyes:

[atommom]

21. ... and a few minutes later, it's turning into a flamefest over there.

These people just don't give up.

[IdaBriggs]

22. Something we should emulate - the NEVER GIVING UP part, I mean.

The rest is just disgusting. Blech!

[Janice325]

23. Those "comments" and others like them make me want to

:puke:

[guruoo]

26. They're desperate to make this thing go away

<<If the new version is the truth why am I, Beth's boogey man, not in jail, not sued for everything I own, and not taken offline by my isp like she threaten to have done to me.>>
They can't all be this stupid, can they?

[atommom]

27. You'd think not, but...

it sure looks like it! :shrug:

[mom cat]

33. "Apparent death!" Hey numbskull...The difference between us and you is

that we would NEVER, NEVER, NEVER stoop as low as you. Even if I knew who you were, I would not conspire to block even YOUR medical treatment. There is a line that civilized people do not cross. If you had a conscience, it would be haunted forever...but you don't.
What I do know is that there is not one of you who could hold a candle to Andy's love, compassion, vision and dedication to democracy.

[EFerrari]

24. At least I warned the editor at OpEdNews.

I'm glad the thugs showed up to prove there has been no harrassment whatsoever.

[lady lib]

28. I had no idea things were so bad.

No idea. Are these people insane or evil or both?!!

There are just no words...only tears.

[bobbieinok]

29. majority of comments anti-Elizabeth...'lefties' comment bemoaning

lies and radicalism of The Left

have to register to comment

[EFerrari]

32. One of the thugs claims to be a liberal. As if no one could tell

the difference.

[shireen]

36. unbelievable

I read those comments in disbelief. Utter utter disbelief.

I also cannot believe that those freaks and I descended from the same human ancestor about 100,000 years ago. What kind of genetic mutations could cause such cruelty in these people?