X-Message-Number: 1872 Date: 02 Mar 93 06:13:06 EST From: Saul Kent <> Subject: Who Is Clarissa Wells? In the last few weeks, Clarissa Wells has raised the ethical question of whether Alcor's Board Of Directors should have the power to deny membership in Alcor to individuals who they believe may have harmed the organization. Ms. Wells has taken the position that it is both ethically and practically wrong for Alcor to deny membership to such individuals and that those who believe differently "...have no business being on the board of Alcor". What's been especially interesting is that several of those who have opposed Ms. Wells have accused her of being someone other than herself. They suggest that Ms. Wells is not a newcomer to cryonics as she says she is. Or that she is not even a woman. What's more, the speculation about who Clarissa Wells *really* is has been greater off cryonet than on it. The Alcor community is buzzing with speculation, rumors, and accusations that Clarissa Wells is one person or another, and several people are said to be quite agitated over the question of Clarissa Wells' *true* identity. Some degree of curiosity about Clarissa Wells is understandable because Ms. Wells has not been entirely forthcoming about her identity, but its widespread intensity suggests that some Alcor members may be more interested in the political implications of who the messenger may be than in the ethical implications of her message. I don't think it matters all that much who Clarissa Wells is. What matters far more is her concerns for ethical issues in cryonics and the desirability of her continuing to express these concerns. Saul Kent Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=1872