X-Message-Number: 20203 Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2002 21:28:31 -0500 From: Trent <> Subject: reply to Driven FromThePack <First, I STRONGLY object to your negative characterization of John Henry: he is a hero of cryonics and life extension who went stuck with his principles against a strong tide of public and media disapproval and (along with Claudia) had his father cryopreserved. I think maybe you are actually believing some of the, ahem, misinformation put out by the media regarding cryonics in connection with the Williams affair.> Yes, he may have good motives, but in this case it is hard to tell WHO has good motives if anyone. It really doesn't appear that things were done as they should have been - scraps of paper with directives written on them? (if this is even true) - so that does make anything suspect. Of course, I can only base my opinion on what I read in the news or their own web sites. <Second, if I were you, I would lay off the perjorative adjectives directed to a certain litigious party involved in this affair. It's one thing to give your opinion, but you should watch what you say here--you never know who might be reading these messages....> Well, they've already made themselves public figures, and they are both expressing strong options about issues that, while not exactly religious or affecting huge numbers of people, are matters of great philosophical controversy, and are being made so by the actions of the parties. You can go to court without whipping up the public, starting web sites, and running P/R campaigns. It is no different than if I started a web site, and public campaign, saying Catholics support child molesting - at a certain point, and after certain conduct you begin to loose the protections of a private citizen. As far as someone litigating against me, they would be barking up the wrong tree - been on the front page more than once, and I have not only the money but very able attorneys that I pay very well, as well as considerable ability of my own. I am used to litigation, very long, very public litigation, it is a fact of life after you obtain a certain level of success I guess... suing me is not something anybody should take lightly. I am not your "average" person. Perhaps you are correct - John Henry is in the right, and had right motives. Or perhaps this is just an example of people who argue over everything. I have seen families like that - the issues at hand aren't what is important, just the arguing, and money is almost always the root, but things take on a life of their own and soon everyone is just fighting over anything that can be fought over. Perhaps it is a little of all of the above. I doubt we will ever know 100% of the truth, unless mind reading is perfected! There is a very real possibility that the cryonics movement will be hurt beyond repair due to this fiasco. I don't see it defending itself (other than here - but that doesn't really count, when our attackers are waging the war in the NY Times, eh?). I think it is fair to state that this is the first time anybody has waged a campaign to destroy cryonics, at least one that has gotten any measure of publicity like this. What I think makes me the most angry is that there isn't an industry association of sorts to rebut this whole thing. It just doesn't seem like cryonists (?) are coming together to defend themselves, and their beliefs. We seem too divided. Trent Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=20203