hunterbishop.com

I always felt Anson knew more about me than I of him. It may have been his outgoing, friendly manner.I really knew little of him, except by name, in his state senate days.

I found him a genuine participant here, urging joint efforts rather than seeking to lead the pack. He was good for politics and psotive force for his adopted Puna.

My dear wife, Elizabeth, along with Jim Albertini and some other folks, has been helping Ann and Anson the last couple of months. Anson had under treatment on Oahu, and when it was obvious there were only days left, Anson wanted to come back to Hawaii Island while he could. There was a recent gathering, in Anson's honor, of several people in the Fern Forest area, where Ann and Anson have lived with lots of animals, for some years -- these were people living out in the jungle up there having tough times and Anson had taken food to them and helped feed them over the past many years.

Aloha Anson.

Mahalo James for all of you folks' kokua.

I got to know Anson through the interesting comments that he would leave at a small forum that I belonged to since 2002. I finally got to meet him and his wife at Bob Jacobson's fund raiser in Keaau in 2003. He campaigned hard for John Kerry in 2004 and even drove all the way to Kona for the July 4 parade to help represent Kerry. He would drive his friend, Annette Felix into Hilo whenever she needed to see her doctor for her cancer (ovarian) and I think it was through her that he became involved with the Malia Puka o ka Lani catholic church in Keaukaha and Father DeCosta and began a food distrubution program for the indigent people who lived in his Fern Forest neighborhood. They would have potlucks and for those who didn't show up, Anson would deliver their food to them. Sometimes, he would find them deceased when he got there. Anson was a very special person and I will truly miss him.

Back in December 2006, Anson announced that he had been diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma. He immediately underwent chemo for 3 months and was hoping to get back to teaching at UH in the fall 2007. Well, apparently by the fall 2007 he wasn't doing too good and he decided to go to Oahu for the bone marrow thing. Anson didn't die of his cancer but rather he died from his toxic chemo treatment (jmo).

Keliipio, you write a wonderful tribute to Anson Chong.Then you use the opportunity to make your point about cancer treatment again. I know it's your opinion but that doesn't mean you couldn't refrain from politicking about it just once and leave the post with just your remembrance of the good man you describe. I'd bet Anson considered his medical options carefully and chose what he believed to be the best course for him at the time. Who else can judge that? I know other people who have taken the same course with the same disease who are active and healthy today. So I simply won't let you get away with your opinion unchallenged, even in this sad context. Despite all that's wrong with Big Medicine, it still does a lot of good. And there is no evidence whatsoever that anything other than a terrible disease took Anson Chong's life.

I was lucky enough to take a political science class taught by Mr. Chong. It was his class that led to me getting involved in Hawaii Politics and that led to me no running for office. His passing is a great loss to all of us. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife. He will be missed

Hunter,
Mahalo for tolerating my unpopular comments about cancer treatment.
My last comment in my previous post was not to judge Anson but to rather judge our medical system that has a bad habit of only peddling toxic cancer treatments to us and steering us away from alternative non-toxic options like Dr. Gonzalez's enzyme regimen.

I spent several nights going back to look at all the emails that I received from Anson over the last few years. He and I once had a small discussion about Annette's cancer (she died a few years back) and he said that he did not ever want to get cancer or die of it.

He was seeing a naturopathic doctor at the same time that he was doing chemo. But if the cancer doctor feels that the natural treatment is going to interfere with the conventional treatment, then he will usually discourage the natural treatment.Cancer doctors are especially skilled at discouraging natural treatment btw.

Yes, 50 years ago, conventional medicine did a lot of good for everyone but conventional medicine has radically changed since then and healing people is not as important anymore as making lots of money.

Oh, and by the way, there just might be some evidence that conventional cancer treatment did more harm than good for Anson. We could probably find something in those manipulated clinical trials.

I 've been following the discussion speculating on the cause of my husband, Anson Chong's death. For the record, he died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. No more need for speculation. If anyone would like an explanation, it's OK to ask me. I don't mind. I just don't want rumors going around that he died of chemo or something other than what he died of. Thank you.
Ann Gleason
anngleason@yahoo.com

I only now learned that Anson had passed away: I first met Anson in 1998, and together we toured the Big Island, went to a dance festival at Hilo and attended a talk by Nobel Laureate Jose Ramos Horta in a very private circle. Anson for me was one of those rare people who combine humility and vision in one person. He was one of those who introduced me to Hawaiian culture and tradition, which over time changed my outlook on life forever. What I find truly sad is that he did not live to see today's fabulous victory of Barack Obama. Or maybe he does see it. I certainly would love the idea.

Aloha Anson. You had a positive impact on many people. The world needs more of the likes of you. I am grateful for having known you.

Mahalo.
Stefan Thiesen, Ph.D.
Germany

Anson was a friend from his campaigning days in the Senate! He was so alive and "into" so many things to make the world a better place. A group of us ran the Honolulu Marathon together and cooked chili to feed 200 people. Even though we have not been in contact for years I will miss him as will so many folks in the Islands and on the mainland. My father proudly wore his "Anson Chong" tee shirt until it was worn ragged and I know that he and Anson have met again by now. My sincere condolences to Ann.