X-Message-Number: 1508 Date: 24 Dec 92 16:34:03 EST From: Saul Kent <> Subject: CRYONICS: Unity In Alcor Recently, there have been some rather acrimonious postings on Cryonet reflecting political conflict within Alcor. As one of the central figures in these postings, I think it is important for me to point out to outsiders who may have been reading these postings that they may be giving them a false impression of Alcor. I believe that all of Alcor's Directors and staff members are committed to the growth and development of Alcor and that we can expect a considerable degree of cooperation among them in furthering these goals, regardless of the conflicts there may be among them. I think the best evidence that there is likely to be cooperation among the leaders of Alcor is the fact that everyone worked together quite well in con- ducting four suspensions last Spring, in spite of considerable conflict within the organization at that time. There is some degree of political confict within Alcor today. There probably always will be. That isn't necessarily bad. Sometimes political conflicts raise important issues that would have lied dormant in a more stable political environment. The key to the continued growth of the organization is whether these issues can be dealt with effectively by leaders who may have opposing viewpoints. In my opinion, the history of Alcor has demonstrated the ability of its leaders to overcome political and personal differences in order to take care of business. I'm confident that this will continue in the future. During the next year, I expect to spend most of my time related to cryonics in organizing and raising money for critical research projects which, if supported adequately, will improve our methods of placing patients in suspension and will increase the credibility of cryonics. Those who wish to contribute to the projects will have the opportunity of doing so via the purchase of stock in for-profit companies or by making tax-deductible donations to Alcor. In working to make these projects a reality and in working to help Alcor (and Cryonics in general) in other ways, I hope to work closely with everyone on Alcor's staff and Board of Directors. I expect to be meeting with all of them to discuss these matters within the next month. For Longer Life, Saul Kent Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=1508