"Andy Stephenson – A Real American Hero" - a LTE we got tonight.

[KyndCulture]

This was a letter to the editor submitted to us tonight at Radio News America. We got this in our email box tonight and I thought I would share it... I wish I could put the whole thing here.. Please follow the link, this was extremely touching.



Andy Stephenson – A Real American Hero
Original commentary by Robbie Michaels
Radio News America - July 11th, 2005

When I heard the news Friday afternoon that Andy Stephenson lost his battle with pancreatic cancer, I cried my eyes out. Although I never met him personally, I lost someone I looked up to as a hero. It was painful for me to read about the circumstances of his death because it made me relive my mother’s battle with pancreatic cancer.

I probably took the news just as hard as his family and friends, because the wounds from this disease cut very deep into your soul. But those wounds are nothing compared to the stories I heard about the circumstances of Andy’s illness, treatment, and resulting death.

At about the same time I got word of his passing Friday afternoon, I heard whispers of sabotage, deceit, and of unadulterated hatred of this wonderful man. I found this very disturbing, and I needed to know everything that happened to him and why.

When I sat down Saturday night to begin writing this commentary, my mind was full of questions. Was the medical treatment Andy received adequate? Who delayed his surgery, and why? Who had the callousness to accuse him of faking a life-threatening illness? I had to search for the truth, regardless how much it would hurt to learn those answers.

much more at link.

http://www.radionewsamerica.com/index.php?blog=5&p=5790&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

[upi402]

1. Great letter, read some SpamAndy.com type of posts from the ghouls

I thought ghoulish was the best term to describe these hateful people and their cruel tactics. I plan on attending Saturday if all works out.

[Bozita]

4. Welcome to DU. This is a good place with good people

[hiley]

2. KyndCulture

Thank you for posting this.
Hiley

[fooj]

3. Yes. That goes double for me!

Thank you for writing such an authentic, heartfelt tribute for a true, American Patriot! I know that he is smiling down on us all...he is at peace.

I take comfort in believing that Andy will continue to guard and guide us as we move forward in search of truth and justice. I used to tell him that he was my favorite Truth Warrior. Andy never let me give up hope. He made me promise to fight like hell for our democracy. I intend to honor and celebrate his life by keeping my word. :patriot:

[KyndCulture]

5. our tuesday show features letters, but this was too good not to share

right away.... I don't usually post our mail from RNA, but I was crying and I wanted people to see this tonight.

[hiley]

6. KyndCulture

:hug: Bless your heart.



Vets for Peace National Convention.

www.veteransforpeace.org

[fooj]

7. Recommend!

Thank you for sharing this...

Peace.

[Oversea Visitor]

8. Good

It should be on all paper too hey.

[Swamp Rat]

9. kick and recommended n/t

[EFerrari]

10. thank you .

[NMMNG]

11. Thank you for posting this, it was beautiful!

[Robbie Michaels]

12. Thank You For Your Kind Words

This was probably the most difficult piece I've ever written for Radio News America and my blog. I'm very touched you voted for it as one of your favorites. Thank you! :)

[cry baby]

14. It's so nice to hear someone from outside DU (well, now you are here)

say nice things about Andy. Thank you for your lovely words about him.

Welcome to DU, please come back often.

[Oversea Visitor]

15. Hello

Welcome to DU :hi: :hug:

[DemReadingDU]

16. Thank you for sharing

and welcome to DU!

[myrna minx]

18. Welcome to DU, Robbie Michaels.

What a beautiful letter. :hug:

[Robbie Michaels]

21. Thanks!

Boy, did I stir up the hornet's nest from the other side.

Kynd didn't post all the venomous stuff from RNA over here. One comment alluded I was lying. All I have to say is that every comment has a hyperlink to a source in each section.

The part with scamdy.com is a link to where the reader is free to explore the message board and their report to the IRS. The reader can read all the venomous filth I read. It's their words, and if they don't like then maybe they never should've typed them out?

The middle section did not mention names, so I didn't make any accusations. All other hyperlinks referenced other news stories, and from what I can tell, none of those sources have been proven false.

Oh well, it's not like we weren't expecting this reaction.

BTW I really like the site! I will make a point to be here more often.

[johnaries]

13. Thank you. Andy's situation had a double meaning for me.

I viewed Andy as a hero for all of the work he did for Election Reform. I still think Andy should be regarded as a Hero for his work in this area, if for no other reason.

But, then, this True American Hero came down with pancreatic cancer.

My father died of pancreatic cancer.

Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt, and then burned the dam thing because I hoped and prayed that no one I knew, met, or ever heard of ever had to go through that bullshit.

To all of Andy's "questioners", questioning all of the earlier diagnoses, my father went through the exact same thing. Well, actually, my father went through more operations and examinations than Andy did before the doctors were willing to admit:

It's Pancreatic Cancer.

I still remember when I and my Step-sister were in the room, and 2 doctors (not one doctor, two of them) came in and told him his options.

The cancer was going to kill him within a few months. There was an operation (Whipple), but the chances were 75% - 85% that the operation itself would kill him before he would even wake up from the anesthesia.

I remember my Dad looking from one doctor to the other, like "I don't understand what you're saying, I don't WANT to understand what you're saying - it can't be true.." and then looking to me and my step - sister like "what are they saying, explain it to me, it can't be what I think I just heard...."

Of course, that was almost ten years ago.

Then, years passed, I came on DU, I got involved on the whole Election Fraud thing, and here was God_Bush_n_Cheney (aka Andy) on the front lines doing all these things I wish I could have done trying to bring the fraudsters to justice.

Then a few posts mentioning he was not feeling well, and that eventually he looked a jaundiced (oh, god - dad looked a little yellow and jaundiced, but that could mean several things). Then, they started looking at his gall bladder (oh, god, oh, god, that's what they looked at first with Dad, but that doesn't mean anything! It may just be his gall bladder!).
Then came the gall bladder stint (oh, shit! that's what they put in Dad just before they found the tumor on his pancreas! no, please, god, no...)

OK, so then Andy's friends posted that it was official - they found the tumor on his pancreas. Of course, cancer medicine had come a long way in the last 10 years. Now, the success rate with the Whipple procedure was much better than it used to be. Plus, Andy was younger and healthier than my 75-year-old father.

Andy might have a chance! (oh, please, god, please, oh please...). I mentioned in a few posts that my Dad had died of pancreatic cancer (mostly in response to some of "those" posts just to try and explain how serious it is) but for the most part tried to be "upbeat". After all, surgery has come a long way in the last 10 years...

You all know what happened next.

Andy, I never really knew you. I never got to meet you in person. But I FEEL like I knew you.

Andy, I salute you. And I'll miss you.

[BamaBecky]

17. PauPal needs to know they were duped............n/t

[troubleinwinter]

19. Thank you! Nominated.

[KyndCulture]

20. well the stupid bastards freeped the comments on RNA to perpetuate

the argument... sick fucking bastards.. I'm gonna leave them for a few minutes in case anyone wants to read how these stupid fuckers think Andy killed himself.

http://www.radionewsamerica.com/index.php?blog=5&title=andy_stephenson_a_real_american_hero&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments

Comment from: NO DUmmie
The lie lives on. Now, what was that again about the surgery delay?

Wasn't it the "blood suckers" at JH who misplaced the checks, or those who wanted their money back from PayPal?

Get your lies straight now...
07/12/05 @ 09:00
Comment from: Anonymous
In fact, we should be concentrating our energy on finding out who contacted PayPal, told them Andy’s illness was a hoax, and forced the company, under their terms and conditions, to put a stop payment on the checks Andy received for his surgery.


The checks that beat Andy to Baltimore and were lost in the mailroom?
07/12/05 @ 09:09
Comment from: Bill in GA
If the cancer is so aggressive, why did HE DELAY treatment by more than two months so that he could go to Johns Hopkins? From what I read of his own posts at DU, he was ready for surgery on several occasions in Seattle at a top-notch facility, only to cancel them.

Seems to me that he killed himself by delaying the treatment.
07/12/05 @ 10:02