X-Message-Number: 33353
From: "Melody Maxim" <>
References: <>
Subject: Cryonics and Assisted Suicide
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:05:59 -0500

FD writes: "Maybe the cryo organizations should draw their line in the sand,
and say enough is enough, they are no longer going to be intimidated by the 
rantings
and ravings of irresponsible online journalists and anti-cryonic
propagandists, and are instead just going to do the right thing and let the
fallout go where it will?  The detractors are always going to find something
adverse to say, no matter what you do or don't do."

Does "do(ing) the right thing" include referring to dialysis techs, service
station attendants, store clerks, golf pros, or other unqualified persons,
as "surgeons" and "perfusionists" in case reports published on websites 
intended to market
cryonics services? Since when did "do(ing) the right thing" ever matter, to
most of the leaders of cryonics activities? Cryonics organizations cannot
continue to carry out their procedures with such a large degree of unethical 
and unprofessional,
behavior, without expecting people to object to their activities.

Maybe FD should aim his accusations of "irresponsibility" at the people
whose actions have left the organizations open to harsh, (and well-deserved,
in my opinion), criticism. For example, was SA's Catherine Baldwin "do(ing)
the right thing" when she published a case report in which she referred to
herself as a surgeon, and used a lot of medical jargon she clearly did not
understand, (judging by her misuse of terminology). Was Mike Darwin "do(ing)
the right thing, when he publicly lied about having been a board-eligible
perfusionist? It's actions such as these, which make all of cryonics look
like nothing more than a scam, and not even a very good one, at that.

I can assure everyone that if a bunch of laymen show up to collect tens of
thousands, or hundreds of thousands of dollars, for performing what I feel
they grossly misrepresent as futuristic medical procedures, at an assisted
suicide, I will not be the only person shouting "STRINGENT REGULATION" to 
the
rooftops. Personally, I think that, given their past and recent behaviors, 
the current cryonics organizations should be banned from setting foot in any 
medical facility. If Alcor and/or SA want to REALLY "do the right thing" and
publicly acknowledge the lack of qualifications of most, (if not all), of
their staff members, in performing the procedures they are selling, I might
feel differently. Given the manner in which cryonics activities have been 
conducted, it's a wonder cryonics wasn't banned a long time ago.

MM 

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