X-Message-Number: 951 Date: 04 Jul 92 22:38:18 EDT From: Charles Platt <> Subject: Michael Paulle Mike Darwin telephoned me tonight (July 4, 1992) and dictated the following letter, which he wants posted on Cryonet: ============================================================= To: Everyone on Cryonet From: Michael Darwin Facilitating someone's cryonic suspension is under the best of circumstances an extremely delicate and difficult task. Initiating and maintaining good communications with the family, hospital administration, and staff in an emotionally loaded, pressure-cooker situation is never easy. It goes without saying that a critical ingredient in achieving this is mutual trust, respect, and freedom from outside pressure-- in particular, freedom from media limelight during the delicate period when a patient is in a hospital, critically ill, and dependent on hospital and family cooperation if a suspension is to be carried out. It does not take a genius to realize that injecting the media into a situation like this, particularly where the family are not cryonicists and the hospital is understandably concerned about its public image, would be insane. It is my understanding that Michael Paulle, a former suspension member of Alcor, has publicly disclosed a patient's identity, hospital location, and even some medical information without knowledge or consent of the patient, the patient's family, the hospital, or Alcor. Mr. Paulle has persisted in doing this even though he has been asked not to by a broad cross-section of responsible people including Alcor president Carlos Mondragon, Alcor activist Saul Kent, and various members of the New York group. Such behavior is totally irresponsible, bordering on criminal. The only way that Alcor--and indeed, any of us in the cryonics community--can protect ourselves from this kind of action is to cut the flow of information to Mr. Paulle and people like him. There is a time and a place for disclosure of information, and I have long been a champion of oppenness. However, disclosure of confidential information regarding a patient's cryonic suspension, violating that patient's privacy and the institutional privacy of the hospital and of Alcor, is unconscionable and inexcusable. I therefore urge each and every Alcor member, in particular those in positions of responsibility, not to communicate with Mr. Paulle about any substantive issue or to give him any information regarding Alcor operations, especially anything involving Alcor suspensions, anticipated or in progress. I am currently standing by for this patient, and I can state personally that Mr. Paulle's actions have made the suspension problematic. Such irresponsible behavior cannot be tolerated in the cryonics community. --Michael Darwin ============================================================= As an upstart cryonics activist, I understand the desire to make cryonics better known in the world. As a professional journalist, I understand the desire to tell a story. But (forgive me for stating the obvious) we aren't just dealing with stories, here; we are dealing with life and death. For this reason, we all need to err on the side of caution. I wish Michael Paulle had followed this rule instead of giving his enthusiasms free rein, and I've already told him so. He didn't share my point of view, however, and I have to say that I don't trust him not to do something like this again in future, if he has the opportunity. --Charles Platt Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=951