Seattle Weekly memorial article on Andy Stephenson: "A Fight To the End"

[Nothing Without Hope]

George Howland has published another fine article about Andy, this time a memorial. I think Andy would like it:

http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0528/050713_news_andy.php

A Fight to the End

Voting-rights activist, 43, dies.
by George Howland Jr.

Voting-rights activist Andy Stephenson was so full of life it seems impossible that he is dead. Surrounded by his life partner, Ted Edmondson, and members of his family, Stephenson passed away on Thursday, July 7, at Seattle's Virginia Mason Medical Center. The Seattle resident was 43.

(snip)

In person, Stephenson was a red-headed, crackerjack live wire, full of ideas and energy, chasing after every hint of impropriety by election administrators and the corporations that make voting software and hardware. During an interview, he would simultaneously smoke cigarettes, drink coffee, take phone calls, assign tasks to volunteers, condemn elected officials, and rail against Election Systems & Software, Diebold, and other voting-equipment corporations. He was a heartfelt advocate for his cause and didn't shy from confrontation with government officials and corporate officers. His passion and affability attracted a following here and on the World Wide Web, particularly among the frequenters of the progressive Web site Democratic Underground (www.democraticunderground.com).

(snip)

Stephenson's health took a turn for the worse on Wednesday June 22, when he was admitted to Virginia Mason Medical Center with post-surgery complications. When I visited him the next day, he was still in battle mode—against his cancer and on behalf of voter rights. Over the next two weeks, his condition steadily declined. After a series of strokes, he died.

(snip)

A memorial service will be held at Town Hall in Seattle at 1119 Eighth Ave., on Saturday, July 16, at 2 p.m.

[e-mail]

Mr. Howland's earlier article, for which the new one is an epilog, described the vicious attacks on Andy's reputation that we know all too well about here at DU. The article is here:
http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0527/050706_news_andy.php
Cancerous Campaign: Voter activist Andy Stephenson fights charges he faked his illness—from his hospital bed.

The earlier article was discussed in this DU thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1595727
Thread title: Two Cases of Bile (Andy Stepheson story)

[Stephanie]

1. thank you

very nice

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. That is a wonderful article.

Thanks.

[Hepburn]

3. Kick and...

....recommend.

Very nice story about Andy. Thanks for posting it.

[EFerrari]

4. thank you

[BamaBecky]

5. Very fitting tribute....thank you....n/t

[bigwillq]

6. Thanks for sharing this.

RIP ANDY

[EFerrari]

7. kick

[Nothing Without Hope]

8. Kick n/t

[Eloriel]

9. I can't believe he's gone

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

I'm so glad that he has these wonderful articles on his behalf. Seems only right. Thanks, George Howland, Jr.

And Andy, light up the sky, man. We still need you.

(What in God's name caused him to have strokes?? Does anyone know? That's just monstrous.)

[EFerrari]

11. So much stress to his system.

So much going on in his body.

He's free, Eloriel. That's my mantra. He's free now.

[tavalon]

16. Most likely

he had sepsis which is infection that travels throughout the circulatory system. It can cause strokes and even full circulatory collapse. I pray that he was on enough pain meds that the end for him was just a gentle white fuzz. That would be the only fairness to this wholly unfair situation.

[mzmolly]

10. What a nice article.

:cry:

[Nothing Without Hope]

12. Now it's up to us to carry on his fight

Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence. —Albert Einstein

[Dudley_DUright]

32. Great Einstein Quote NWH

One of my favorites. It describes Andy perfectly

[frictionlessO]

13. Thank you....

...

[RevolutionStartsNow]

14. Oh, God

I've read so much stuff about Andy today and something about this article is the one that made me finally cry...

I miss him, not for myself because I didn't know him personally, but for all the people fortunate enough to have had Andy in their lives.
I'm sure he will be painfully missed.

I send my best wishes especially to Termite, who must have loved Andy very much.

[Amaya]

15. Damn...

that's just sad...

This article is a beautiful tribute.

Rest in peace, Andy.

[tavalon]

17. I'm supposed to be at poly camp next weekend (on the eastside)

but I've already told my family that I will be leaving on Saturday to come back to Seattle for the memorial.

[meganmonkey]

18. Oh man

I'm a mess :cry:

What an article!

[EFerrari]

20. I know. Me, too.

Doug has a stand up gig tonight. I don't know how he'll do it.

George did a generous and beautiful job.

:hug:

[Nothing Without Hope]

22. George Howland's writing makes it clear that he was moved by Andy

Clearly, one of Andy's many gifts was his ability to reach people with the capacity to see what he was.

[EFerrari]

23. It was a gift.

An astonishing gift. Like Florimel in the "Faerie Queene", people wanted to look at him, talk with him, be with him.

[Nothing Without Hope]

25. It was a gift he gave to all of us. I believe that this is as important

in its way as his great work on election reform. It is certainly a part of his legacy that he was probably not even aware of.

"Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. ... And as we let our own light shine, we subconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." --Marianne Williamson

[EFerrari]

28. He knew he had a big network but I doubt he knew why.

Andy Stephensons don't just fall off of trees every day. And, you're right, they usually don't know that.

((((((((((NWH))))))))

[Nothing Without Hope]

31. I think that's the way it is with the truly genuine ones:

they can't see their own shine. But we are inspired by it.

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. -–Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician, and musician (1875-1965)

And I think you can use a few too:
(((((((((( :cry: ))))))))))

--Hope

[meganmonkey]

30. Indeed

:hug:

[Nothing Without Hope]

19. The article author's email address is in the excerpt - please tell him

what you think of the article. He emailed me this evening to tell me about the article and said "Please post and forward freely." (I had written him about his earlier article on Andy.)

[Cassandra]

34. I sent him an email...

but he's out of the office for a bit (got an auto-reply). The article is really well done.

[sojourner]

21. Thanks for posting this, NWH...

somehow I thought the fighter would win this battle. :cry:

[Nothing Without Hope]

24. Now it's up to us to carry the battle for clean elections forward.

And sojourner, my DU friends call me Hope. :pals:

[sojourner]

29. My thoughts exactly. Can't think of a better way to "remember" our comrade

-- and thankyou, Hope, for counting me among your DU friends!

:pals:

[in_cog_ni_to]

26. Thank you for posting this.

*sigh* Andy was a wonderful human being.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

27. From a Southerner.... God love him....

He was/is a heluva man. I am so proud to have known him via this board and thrown a nickle to his medical needs.

Peace, Andy.

[PDittie]

33. A wonderful tribute especially for those of us who

never met him.

He lives on through the warm tributes of his family, friends and those who knew him online.

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow;
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awake in the morning hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft stars at night.

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.

-- Mary Frye

[Nothing Without Hope]

35. kick n/t

[WillyT]

36. Great Article, Thank You !!!

:grouphug:

[Just Me]

37. A fantastic and fitting acknowledgement of Andy's life. n/t

[understandinglife]

38. Thank you, Hope.

Peace.

www.missionnotaccomplished.us - Halt terror on America; begin by demanding Voter-Verified Paper Ballots.

[Nothing Without Hope]

39. Additional Andy memorials are appearing online - see this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4053858

Be sure to go to the dKos one and, after you read the wonderful post, rate it up so more people will see it.

[Nothing Without Hope]

40. kick n/t

[Solly Mack]

41. Why couldn't people let him die in peace?

None of it makes any sense to me.

It's like Andy became their sock in the floor - you fight with people for not picking up the sock to avoid the real reasons you are angry....or to hide your true motives and intentions.

So the abuse of Andy was just a convenient way for them to lash out about other things- but Andy's illness was the vehicle...they used his illness and his death for nothing more than a chance to vent and whine......as long as they could cause trouble.

How fucking pathetic is that?

[Melissa G]

42. Thanks for this! n/t

[proud patriot]

43. the article honors Andy

:thumbsup:

[In_The_Wind]

44. thank you for sharing this with us

[Nothing Without Hope]

45. kick n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

46. kick for the wee hours crowd

This day has been too full. I'm turning in for the night.

[Nothing Without Hope]

47. One more kick for the road. n/t

[spuddonna]

48. What a great article... thanks for the link! n/t

[EFerrari]

49. kick

[merh]

50. Thank you Hope!

:hug:


:loveya: Andy :loveya:

[paineinthearse]

51. Wonderful post

thank you.

And your new footer is beautiful.

[hiley]

52. Nothing Without Hope

Thank you for posting this article. It means so much to so many.
Solidarity,
Hiley

[Pallas180]

53. Really sad and much too young to leave, but he certainly didn't waste his

time on this earth and he has left a legacy and an impact.

[eridani]

54. An unsolicited post on one of my mailing lists

The poster did not know anything about Andy except what was passed on from the obituary notice--

I didn't know Andy. I know him only by his friends and allies. They each have a spark that seems to come from him. It's hard to tell how but very apparent on a level that's difficult to explain but easy to sense.

Sometimes we trust our intuition, sometimes the data adds up. It
seemed like Andy put them both together. There must be many heavy hearts tonight, not just mine. This is community that can only be felt, but is no less real.

Goodbye Andy. I did not have the chance to know you, except by the
ripples your presence cast. They illuminated much for me, and for a
community of people who loved you deeply.

I feel priviledged to feel your loss deeply, and to know that this
feeling is the way you'd empower us.

Never give in or give up. Don't hide your love and brilliance under a basket. Let it shine!

Love;

Dan

[WearyOne]

55. vale Andy. Never met you but I love you all the same.

[kodi]

56. I was and will forever remain proud to call Andy my friend

may he live on in our hearts and actions.