X-Message-Number: 1536
From:  (Thomas Donaldson)
Subject: Re: cryonics: #1527 - #1531
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 93 20:39:52 PST


-- 
This is a reply to Saul's comments on my reply. As I have stated before, I
do not intend for it to be a personal criticism oof Saul, but rather a 
criticism of one particular idea Saul has...that of splitting off storage from
Alcor.

1. With respect to the fact that most members of Alcor never personally knew
Alcor's patients: yes, that is true. But that is exactly what would happen 
with the proposed storage organization after a comparatively short delay. So
separating the storage function won't solve that main problem at all ---
just put it off. It seems much more to the point to work on organizing
Alcor so that IT will be more careful with patients DESPITE the fact that
these patients aren't known to most of its members.
2. Alcor has dealt with Coroner's cases before and will do so again. While
that was inevitably something that led to tension, the REAL problems happened
when the Coroners RETURNED. And (I remember this very clearly) for a short
time, before they returned, it looked as if everything would be OK.
3. While it is true that organizational barriers can slow things down, its
still not clear why Saul should conclude that THIS PARTICULAR barrier: that

is, that the storage organization is different from the suspension 
organization,will do much to slow things down. Take the Dora Kent problem: if 
she had been
transferred elsewhere, the coroner would have had one more cause for action
against the suspension organization, and cooperation from the officials at
the place where the storage facility was, too --- after all, this was supposed
to be a murder case. If she had NOT been transferred elsewhere, we would have
lost one suspension organization, plus cast a lot of doubt on the storage 
organization too: after all, just who is involved with each one? Maybe we 
should autopsy some of the other stored patients to make sure they haven't
been murdered too.

Fundamentally I don't think that Saul has made a very strong case for 
separating off the storage function. If I understand him, the major purpose
of the storage organization is to help preserve the patients. And his case
that a separate organization can do so, LONGTERM, better than Alcor looks
weak. But I will repeat that separating the SUSPENSION function may actually
improve patient care --- though given that Alcor seems to be top right now,
that improvement may take a while.
			Best, and long life
				Thomas

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