X-Message-Number: 2337
From:  (Thomas Donaldson)
Subject: CRYONICS Re: The Wrong Stuff
Date: Fri, 9 Jul 93 22:35:38 PDT

Dear Steve:

While I, too, am unhappy about the bleach incident, some other points in your
letter, I feel, need clarification.

You know yourself that Alcor has been FORBIDDEN BY THE AUTHORITIES to do any
animal research. Whether they have the abstract ability to do so or not
does not have anything to do with it. This has side effects, too, especially
with people like Mike no longer there: one of the major ways the Alcor team
used to have to improve its competence was animal experiments. This is no
longer true, though of course (as I understand it) the Alcor Board has
tried to get this restriction removed.

I don't mean here to say that I agree completely with current policies. I do
not. And among those policies with which I disagree is the fact that the
Board has not moved faster to set up a system in which Mike's team can
perform suspensions. Everything I've heard makes me think that Mike's team
would be more competent. At the same time, I don't mean this as denigration of
Tanya, either, who is trying to rise to the situation.

Perhaps if more opportunities for practice became available, mistakes such as
the one with bleach would not arise. All questions of "degrees" and
"professional qualifications" aside, I believe that the current Alcor team
could BECOME as competent as Mike's team. But Alcor now faces a barrier that
Mike does not.

I certainly hope that the external restriction do get removed. If the Alcor
suspension team does not practice then, but merely rests on its somewhat
flimsy laurels, then your comments will have even more force.

			Best and long long life,
				Thomas

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