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!! -- INTERNET: (Scott Herman) UUCP: ...!ryptyde!netlink!sherman NetLink Online Communications * Public Access in San Diego, CA (619) 453-1115 Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=1527