Yeah, and among other things.
The Andyites are accusing this of being some sort of Republican "smear job," because ostensibly the Republicans are afraid of the imperial red round one getting elected secretary of state of Washington (state).
The imperial red round one DROPPED OUT of that race in the Democratic primaries even BEFORE the primaries, because it was obvious DEMOCRATS didn't want him being their candidate, any more than Republicans in Louisiana didn't want David Duke being a Republican candidate for something.
If the imperial red round one were a candidate for any office, his opposition would not lose a wink of sleep.
Notice how they react to having the equilibrium disturbed in the sacred DUPU. The fact there is another whole universe out there short-circuits their brain function.
When you pull your head out of the sand you might see something besides sand but apparently they can't handle that so it's sand 24/7/365.
A different perspective
Dear Will Pitt,
I have been silent on this issue for a long time, but your "call to action" on behalf of Andy Stephenson has finally prompted me to comment. As laudable as your efforts are, as much as Andy (just like everyone else in this country) deserves not to have to worry about the cost of medical care, there are several things that stick in my craw about this.
I don't know Andy Stephenson--I do appreciate the work he has done on election reform as much as I appreciate the work ALL of the citizen journalist/activists have done--most of them without any form of renumeration and in fact at great cost.
I am assuming that Andy--like you and probably 90% of folks on DU--is a "privileged white male" with a decent education, a decent place to live and well, gee, if he's out of a job at the moment and has no health insurance, that puts him in the same boat as about 10 million other Americans, many of whom have NO resources at their disposal and certainly don't have the option of going panhandling on a message board like DU.
I read DU in order to stay abreast of recent developments in politics and be informed about what I can do to help "fix" the election system, not to get the day-by-day, organ-by-organ, diagnosis-by-diagnosis, panic-attack-by-panic attack updates on the status of Andy Stephenson's illness.
The reactions on the part of the DU community to various "needy" individuals and communities are revealing: A friend of mine recently posted an opinion piece on DU outlining the dire situation of Native Americans on the Pine Ridge/Rosebud reservation in South Dakota who are freezing to death in their homes because they can no longer afford to pay heating bills after government subsidies were cut off. DU's response: Gee what a heartbreaking story, I hope they get the money they need. (But when Hopi prayers are needed, these are regularly invoked--on behalf of saving white America, even as Indians die on the reservation, even as Black newborns turn up in dumpsters in the inner city because their moms can't afford to a) go to the hospital to give birth and b) feed another child).
So what is it about Andy Stephenson, white male privileged guy who has momentarily fallen upon hard times and has a potentially life-threatening disease, that sets him apart from American Indian elders on reservations and African American children in the inner city who suffer similarly life-threatening conditions on a day-to-day basis(and in fact die, in large numbers, unseen, unsung and unbeknownst to DU!)? Have they not made a large enough contribution to the cause of "white America"? Mount Rushmore, Manhattan, and indeed 90% of the land upon which white men walk is not sufficient contribution for you and your kind to deem them worthy of your financial support?
At the same time, every now and again, someone comes in to DU to ask "Where the hell are all the people of color? They must not be informed. We must inform them." Believe me, Will. We ARE informed. Politicians and powermongers have been stealing and suppressing OUR votes for as long as we can remember. This is nothing new to us. In more recent years, it hasn't been enough for them to steal the votes of the poor and people of color: now they've dared to start stealing the votes of privileged white men and women. And in comes Andy--riding high on the fine white steed of privilege. Save the day! Suddenly, panhandling is an honorable thing.
Is there a substantial contingent of people of color sitting back and saying, "So, now you know how it feels"? Yes, there is, and can you really fault them for that? But there is also a large contingent--of which I am a part--saying, "well, hallelujah, it's about time they started stealing white votes, too--now we might be able to get down to business." And we are getting down to business. We are making contributions--large and small--financial contributions, letter writing, people informing. We're doing all the same things you and Andy are doing. And we're paying our own medical bills--more often than not, we're simply foregoing medical care because we simply cannot afford it! Or we're going bankrupt in an attempt to address the health issues we face--many of which are more severe and more prevalent in our communities due to ongoing, intergenerational lack of preventative medical care and the detrimental health effects of racism and poverty.
I don't expect you or anyone in the privileged white male community to EVER understand what is so ingratiating about this. But if you could ever do us the favor of simply respecting the fact that we are disturbed by it, we would be eternally grateful. In fact, despite the fact that my own efforts on behalf of election reform have cost me dearly (it nearly cost me my marriage!), I might even be willing to contribute to Andy's cause, just as I contribute regularly and generously to the causes of many others. But when it is thrown in my face like this while I am just trying to do MY part, I find it offensive.
Do you think you guys might do us the favor of creating a separate forum for paying white privileged male medical bills, or why do we have to be subjected to this? Andy Stephenson's pancreas does not fall under the "Election results" category.
Kind regards,