X-Message-Number: 32032
Date: Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:43:07 -0700
From: Mike Perry <>
Subject: Re: [venturist_directors - special messages] Larry Johnson
References: <>

I think we are the good people and have the moral high ground, as 
David says. However, it is worthwhile to take a good look at the book 
itself too, before we just assume it will work in our favor. I see 
Mark Plus has gotten a copy--I ordered one over the Internet. 
MeanwhiIe I looked at the book as best I could at the Amazon website 
(you can "look inside"). Naturally they won't let you read it all 
that way but you can get a pretty good feel for what it contains. I 
would say it's something like Mothermelters only longer, more 
detailed, and covers more cryonics history, all from a hostile point 
of view of course. Venturists are compared to the Branch Davidians. 
Some rather personal details of some of our lives are there. Johnson 
did a lot of surreptitious taping at the lab in 2003 and has 
transcripts that deal with an alleged case of euthanasia (not Dora 
Kent). I'm sure that he also worked with Alan Kunzman who showed him 
the files he had--he claimed in Mothermelters that he could have 
written a much longer book than he did. Anyway it will pose a 
challenge for us. I'm not sure how it will affect day-to-day matters 
at the lab, one would like to think not much but we'll have to see.

Shannon, I hope things are going well. Thanks for being with us on this.

Mike


At 10:32 2009/10/04, david pizer wrote:

>
>
>Now is the time for all cryoncists to remain calm. With a well 
>thought out plan we cryonicists can use this public attention to 
>explain our philosophy and goals and therefore advance cryonics to 
>those people who matter.
>
>When I was arrested in 1988, with 5 others, for trying to protect 
>Alcor's patient, Dora Kent, the press was also miss-informed and 
>antagonistic towards cryonics - at least at first. Those of us on 
>the Board and in management at that time used all that press 
>attention to create more interest and membership in cryonics and to 
>build public support for our cause. The Dora Kent situation was 
>followed by one of the highest membership gain percentages in our 
>history, along with donations from people, some who were not cryoncists.
>
>The main strategy that worked then, and can work now, is to answer 
>all requests for interviews, tell the truth about the goals of 
>cryonics, and remain calm. We are the good people. We are the ones 
>doing the right things. We hold the moral high ground.
>
>We have a golden opportunity to carefully and respectfully engage 
>the press and have access to hundreds of millions of people, some of 
>them open minded free thinkers who don't want to die. With proper 
>management of this situation we can use this opportunity to gather 
>hundreds, perhaps thousands, of new members.
>
>Again = We are the good people. We are the ones doing the right 
>things. We hold the moral high ground. The only mistake here will be 
>if we don't use this opportunity to properly explain cryonics to all 
>the people who are now (for the moment at least) paying attention to cryonics.
>
>David Pizer

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