X-Message-Number: 2341
Subject: CRYONICS: Self Flagelation
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1993 11:53:41 -0400
From: "Perry E. Metzger" <>


Ladies and Gentlemen, and whomever else is reading:

The cryonics community, lacking in sufficient external enemies,
periodically sees fit to conduct internal battles for the purpose of
bloodletting. However, it appears that in spite of the extensive
medical research that many cryonicists engage in, most of them have
yet to hear that bloodletting is no longer considered an effective
medical practice.

All kidding aside, this is all very silly, folks.

No, I'm not refering to the cryonics movement or people's personal
concerns for the safety of patients. Thats not silly. Thats a matter
of the gravest concern. 

What is silly, however, is the notion of all concerned that
characterizing each other as duplicitous, stupid, incompetant,
scheming, conniving, felonious, or just plain evil, is going to get us
anywhere.

As I've mentioned before, it is possible to conduct these discussions
without personal invective. Examine this pairs of phrasings.

A) "Pumping the patient full of gasoline was an incompetant and stupid
act that reflects how useless the Mizar Life Extension Foundation's
staff has become. All of them are evil idiots who should be kept as
far away from patients as possible."

B) "I would like to point out that the recent perfusion of a patient
with gasoline is a serious concern. Gasoline is very damaging. I
believe that all concerned would be best served by as full an
investigation as is possible, not only to prevent future perfusions
with gasoline, but to catch any overall systemic patterns that might
lead to other accidents."

One of these two phrases is a statement of objective fact and a
statement of a reasonable opinion. The other is counterproductive.

Which do you suppose I think is the better phrasing?

Incidently, I picked the "side" to lampoon by flipping a coin -- I
could just as easily have lampooned the "Everyone at 24.5th Century
Medicine are is a scheming, uncooperative weasels" commentary.

So, might I humbly suggest that both sides might want to tone done the
vitriol? It doesn't get us anywhere. If people just stick to
characterizing facts rather than trying to characterize people, we
will likely all be better off.

Perry



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