X-Message-Number: 1527
Subject: CRYONICS Open letter to everyone
From:  (Scott Herman)
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 92 17:11:43 PST

Open Letter to Everyone:

First off I would like to compliment Charles Platt for his
article in Omni, I finally got an issue at the news stand.

It was very good Charles and well written, I hope it made the
point and has encouraged outsiders to seriously consider joining
us or at least getting signed up with some Cryonics Organization.

I also received my copy of Cryonics in the mail today and read
both articles from Carlos and Steve, and found them to be very
moving and inspirational. I think they both made some very good
points. Lets face it Carlos has done a lot for Alcor, and has
gotten us out of the clutches of the government, therefore I
think he at least deserves a round of applause for a job well
done.

But what about Steve, ( well as John Wayne used to say, god
willing and the river don't rise ) Steve will be able to do a
good job as the new President and C.E.O. of Alcor and will take
it in directions that are positive and profitable.

Whats done is done I suppose and Carlos has no intention of
coming back, and I really can't blame him. He has done his job
with distinction and honor and now deserves the opportunity to
get on with his life. To really put his talents to good use and
make himself a pile of money with them.

Steve now on the other hand get's to put up with a bunch of self
opinionated, got to have it there way people, Steve I pity you I
hope you can handle it, because it's more than one person should
have to put up with in there life time.

So where do we go from here, good question, I hope 1993 can at
last be a good year for Alcor, but then again as long as this
political infighting continues I don't think it will. Of course
this could be changed if a few people were willing to let by
gones be by gones, and at this point I think if everyone where to
quit calling each other names, as an example, one individual has
decided that anyone who opposes Saul Kent or his idea's is
malicious, vindictive, hateful, and a few other thing's I won't
mention.

Put yourself in the person's shoes that you are calling this and
try to see how they would feel being called these thing's. Not
very nice is it, I didn't think so but this is what I mean. I
think this kind of behavior more than any of the rest has
contributed to this fight going on as long as it has.

I tend to agree with some people out there and there opinion of
this fight has put a lot of productive time to waste that could
have been spend more productively on things being done at Alcor.
Things that needed to be done and issues seriously being
addressed instead of, it's got to be my way or else, attitudes.


I look back on this fight, and I got involved with Alcor when it
started, that day not long ago that came with a call for a search
committee to find a replacement for Carlos. It was said that the
issues were not being addressed by Carlos or the proverbial gang
of Five, well as far as I can tell they still haven't been
seriously addressed. No just a lot of fighting because people
can't bring themselves to go half way with the other side and
agree on a compromise.

         It's really sad when the organization that we all are depended on
to get us to the other side has to lower itself to this level of
behavior. Two sides that are so opinionated that it has to be
there way or not at all, instead of sitting down at the table and
talking it over and coming to some agreement.

And I don't think either side really has tryed very hard to agree
with each other it has always been easier to just throw rocks at
each other and fight. And if this is the way things will be in
the future then Alcor really is doomed to destruction and even
Saul Kent won't be able to be blamed for it or stop it. Excuse me
Saul no malice intended.

I also don't think that one persons opinion of, there has to be
wholesale changes made particularly in the board of directors is
either reasonable or productive. Doing so will only extend this
fight indefinitely, (Loyalty is something you will never crush.)
besides these people have had some good idea's in the past and no
dought will have in the future as well. They have also
contributed a lot to Alcor, and it would be a crime to throw them
out just because of a difference of opinion.

So I ask again where do we go from here. Do we continue to be
opinionated and have to have things our own way or do we stop
this fighting. Sit down and do some really constructive
consideration of the issues and find a solution. Solutions that
are agreeable to both sides. This brings up another good point
and that is this *sides* thing, wait a *minute* we are all
suppose to be on *one side* here fighting the outside, that is
the government and other groups that oppose us.

We have to be united again toward the common cause which is the
survivability of the patients and ourselves. For then and only
then can we succeed in our objective to make Cryonics legal world
wide and pre-mortem suspension as well. Then and only then can we
do the research nessary to make Cryonics really workable. Also I
tend to Agree with Mike Darwin, It's just plain fantasy to think
that nano-technology is going to be the cure-all for reanimation.


Research has to be done, and suspension techniques have to be
advanced and enhanced, as well as cooling, and caring systems. (I
don't like the word storage, it has negative connotations to it,
that's my opinion what's yours.)

And this idea of separating Alcor, I don't disagree with it but I
do think it is to soon for it. Maybe in 5 years it should really
be considered but right it's just not economical or feasible. The
time and energy considering it could be put to better use, and
like I said I don't disagree with it in fact I would be more than
happy to work on the idea but not right now. Also moving the
patient care fund out of the country, I really don't think would
solve the problem that Saul talks about. And perhaps it would not
be a bad idea to circulate a questionnaire to the membership and
see what there opinion on both of these issues are. Maybe someone
will come up with an idea nobody else has though of. We have a
tremendous pool of knowledge out there let's put it to use.
 


So O.K. here's my wish list for 1993:

1.) The political in fighting stops and everyone comes together
to work together, to work on the goals that are common to all of
us and to Alcor as an organization.

2.) We find a new home for the patients, and Alcor that is safer
then where we are now.

3.) Saul get the fund raiser going and make Alcor a bunch of
money.

4.) Lets do some more Research in suspension techniques, blood
washout, transport techniques, and cooldown.

5.) Get the remote chapters up to speed on transport so we don't
have another situation like Boston. Provide them with the nessary
training and give them the nessary equipment to do bloodwash out
and phase one perfusion.

6.) Get an electronic communications network set up so that the
entire membership can get involved with Alcor headquarters as
well as there regional chapter headquarters.

7.) Have a bury the hatchet party and become friends again.


I know this all takes money but if we put the energy and time we
have spent in fighting with each other into raising money for
Alcor I think we all would be surprised at what we could
accomplish this year.

It's really up to everyone to make this happen, we all have to be
willing to bury our differences to make it happen and I include
myself in this too.

And I think myself, Mike Darwin and Paul Wakfer taking our
footballs and going home was a really childish thing to do and I
admit I was wrong in doing so because it has accomplished
nothing, it really hasn't. And I don't call Steve being elcted
President and C.E.O. an accomplishment of this action.

Therefore I am willing to make the first move, set the example
and formerly state here and now that when I am financially able
to do so I will rejoin Alcor as a member, and until then I will
go back to being a hard working volunteer, although finding a job
comes first, I'm tired of being unemployed, it really stinks!!!!

I also make a personal plea to Saul Kent, Steve Bridge and the
rest of you, lets stop this fighting now. Lets work together not
against each other, I think it would make everybody a lot happier
and I think Jerry would be happy too, if we were one big happy
family again.
 
Sincerely Scott Herman.

P.S. If I have offended anyone with what I have said I didn't
mean too, Please except my apology.

Everyones input, opinions and idea's about the above letter are
welcome. But let's keep it out in the open, No!! Secrets!!




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