X-Message-Number: 2274
Date: 22 May 93 18:24:57 EDT
From: Paul Wakfer <>
Subject: CRYONICS: Correcting Quaife on D. Kent

	I wish to make a clarification on the remarks Art Quaife made on
the Dora Kent situation, and say a few words about his piece in general
(somehow I missed that Cryomsg. completely, finding it only today).

	Art states that the Dora Kent troubles started only with Alcor
attempting to dispose of a "headless corpse."  This is only partly true
and the reality moots the point that Art was trying to make.  Here is the
straight story from one who knows:

	Whether Dora Kent was a neuro or a whole body she necessarily
required a DEATH CERTIFICATE, just as all of ACS' and Trans Time's
patients  require death certificates.  When we went to our mortician to
prepare her death certificate we discovered to our horror that she was a
Coroner's case because there was no physician PHYSICALLY PRESENT at the
moment of her legal death.  The mortician was then kind enough to call
the Coroner for us, explain the problem, and try to get it resolved.  The
Coroner explained that because this was cryonics he would have to do an
autopsy.  He also explained that if Dora Kent was a whole body he would
have to do a complete autopsy and that even as it was "he might be back
for her head and we Should prepare ourselves for that possibility..."  As
he seemed very nice and supportive at that time we didn't worry too much.

	The rest is history.  As things escalated we became concerned
about what would happen and a decision was made to move her.  If Dora Kent
had been a whole body patient she would have (according to the Coroner)
been autopsied from day one.  Luckily for us, this Coroner was incredibly
stupid (we later found out that he had to have his wife sit by his side
in meetings to read him complex memos!).  The legally proper thing to
have done was to have preserved the chain of evidence by taking custody
of the ENTIRE patient (perhaps allowing us to come an add liquid
nitrogen, or instructing them on how to do so, etc.) until a decision was
made about whether to autopsy her head.  I remember remarking at the time
that their leaving her head with us violated one of the cardinal rules of
law enforcement procedure: secure the evidence and the investigation
scene against tampering and preserve the chain of evidence in case
subsequent prosecution is necessary. At the time I just chalked it up to
him trying to be a nice guy.  Only later did I realize that it was
because he was incredibly stupid and ignorant; later it was discovered
that he was allowing his employees to take people's body parts, including
all major organs, bones and even scalps home with them to section on the
picnic table in their back yard (no, I am NOT making this up).

	The point I am trying to make here is that in the case of the
utility of the mobility of neuros vis a vis law enforcement Art is
largely right, but for the wrong reasons.   I would make the following
points:

1) The supply of Coroners who are mental pygmies is probably limited. 
Therefore we can expect that in future situations where there is a real,
serious medicolegal issue the Coroner will at a minimum take custody of
the head.  Of course, it may still be possible to know that you have a
problem BEFORE the Coroner does and to take appropriate action to hide the
patient, however see #2 below:

2)  In large measure because the Coroner was so stupid and the case was so
without merit, Alcor prevailed.  This will not usually be the case.  In
such situations the hand of law enforcement will descend with Waco-like
finality.  And, while the patient being hidden may well survive for a
time or maybe indefinitely, the institution who initiated the hiding and
which hold responsibility for it WILL NOT SURVIVE.  And its Officers and
Directors will be in jail until the authorites get what they want.

3)  A very important related problem is the problem of scale.  One head is
easy to move and hide.  A dozen are less so.  A hundred are just as
fifficult to move and hide as is a whole body patient, or quite a number
of whole body patients.  Thus, as an organization grows, unless it is
organized on the "cell principle" like the American Communists were, it
soon becomes as sessile and immbobile as an organization with whole body
patients since it has dozens of neuros.

	Now there is an important caveat to this and that is that in times
of other kinds of crisis I believe that neuros do retain some powerful
advantages since they can be handled quickly, easily and packed to greater
density.  And it is very important to realize that there are many other
forseeable emergencies other than ones involving law enforcement.

	Finally on this topic, I think that the primary reason for
choosing neuro is what I call resources focus.  The cost is substantialy
less and it allows you to concentrate of focusing your resources where
they need to go: on getting what is important to the future.

	Art quite rightly points out that what is important is a personal
decision and that we are discarding some information (possibly important)
when we discard the body.  Each individual should choose carefully what is
important to them.  Those going neuro should realize that they do not know
for sure that they are making the "right" choice on biological (identity
grounds) since the ex[eriment has not been done.  Similarly, those going
whole body should realize that they do not know for sure that they are
making the right choice on financial/social/ poltical grounds since that
experiment has not been done yet either.

	Everybody would get along much better if both groups could simply
realize this and accept it.  And then get on with "live and let live" (or
live and let die if you insist!).  I am probably largely resoponsible for
polarizing the neuro debate as much as it has become polarized due to my
attitudes and actions in the early 1980's.  I want to express here my
thanks to Jerry Leaf for FORCING me to see the error of my position and
to come to understand that the whole body side had real merits too.  I am
just sorry that this understanding came so late and that my education
proved so costly to all of us.  Perhaps Art can take a leaf from Jerry's
book as well.

Mike Darwin





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