X-Message-Number: 23734
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 10:12:53 -0500 (EST)
From: Charles Platt <>
Subject: Kennita's risk coercion
References: <>

> Alcor's PR is far less than perfect -- enough less that I
> feel I have significant value to add by going to FDGD.

If you want to do PR (which I consider an eminently sensible
suggestion) why pick an unrewarding opportunity which creates
a risk of legislative backlash?

In a very small organization which has not yet achieved much
market penetration, the most productive use of your time is
to go after the easiest options, not the hardest. You want to
do PR, go talk to libertarian groups or computer nerds, the
two largest constituencies of Alcor members. This also has
the advantage that it does not entail the risk of associating
cryonics with do-it-yourself flakes.

> It does no good for us to preach to the choir.

Nonsense. We have signed up less than 1 percent of the choir.
Therefore this is exactly where we should be preaching.

> Actually, to the extent that the comment was meant
> seriously at all, it was presenting the choice between
> taking a risk of having Ted-williams-type jokes about
> "Alcor at FDGD" on Jay Leno or not.  The "go for it!" was
> an assessment that going is worth that risk.

This is what really makes me quite angry, because, it is NOT
YOUR RISK. It is OUR risk. You do not have the right to
create that risk for other people. We have not given our
consent for you to endanger our freedom of choice. Even if
you are raising the risk of hostile legislation by a very
small amount, still you have no right to do this. But, you
are giving yourself that right. I see this as a form of
coercion. You are forcing me to take your risk.

Do you believe in coercion, Kennita? Do you see any flaw in
my logic, here?

Also I think it might be productive for you to examine your
personal motives for seeking out environments where you are
likely to find hostility--e.g. your story about the gay pride
parade, and your apparent insistence on alienating people in
the libertarian party, in exactly the same way that you are
alienating people here. This is not a good pattern.

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