X-Message-Number: 12187
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1999 09:35:51 -0500
From: david pizer <>
Subject: Pizer thinks trouble ahead

Two subjects.

George W. Bush (Presidential Candidate) was quoted by the Scottsdale Tribune:

"No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor
should they be considered patriots."

He is reported to have said this in august of 1987 in Chicago responding
about the equal citizenship of atheists.

It is estimated the atheists in America are in the single digits.

In light of this I will go on record as being agnostic (I am not 100% sure
of almost anything).  So, please freeze me when my time comes, as I am not
one of those non-citizen, non-patriotic atheists.
-------------------------------

On the discussion of whether brain only has any advantages over head only
freezing:

At one time I was very active in bringing in new members.  (During that
time, I was told that I had brought in more new members than any other
non-employee of a cryonics company, barely beating out Keith Henson).
During my many years of service to Alcor (and before that as a Trans-Time
member) I have had many informal (and some formal) discussions with
non-cryonicists (I was trying to talk them into signing up) about whole
body and neuro.

I came to the follosing conclusions.  For a non-cryonicist, neuro (head
only) is the most disgusting thing they can think of about cryonics.  On
the other hand, the same people who were so turned off about neuro did not
seem nearly as much against a brain only type suspension.  In fact, a large
percentage of people who would never go whole body or neuro might go for a
brain only (depending on others conditions).

In these times with organ donations (kidneys, hearts etc) considered a
generous and "good" thing for dead people to do, a "brain donation" is also
acceptable, maybe even kinda  good.  In fact, the surviving relatives might
think that the patient was "special" in that others were willing to take
his/her brain as a donation.  (Some non-cryonicists think the brain is
important only behind a kind heart).

The comment that Robert Ettinger made about relatives wanting a funeral
(with the lid open and the dead person's head on) should not be taken
lightly.  That may be the number one reason relatives would not approval a
heuro suspension for the loved one.  (Only you should not refer to them as
"dead", but rather  the"passed on" person.

There are other problems (as others have already mentioned in this forum)
about doing a brain only suspension: how to get it out in good shape; how
to perfuse it; how to pack and store it.)  However, if the present neuro
option could be replaced with a suitable technique for "brain donations"
the public acceptance of cryonics would move up rapidly.   At last some
very high profile people would sign up.  What greater status than donating
your brain to the people of the future (Just don't mention that you are
paying for it, yourself).  

As a way of making the brain donation status even higher, we could have a
list of requirements that the person must meet before we would accept their
brain.  For instance:  

They must have a certain amount of people sign an affidavid that they are
worthy.  (These could be relatives, and their family doctor.)

They must demonstrate their intelligence by anserwing a list of complicated
questions on different forms.

They must demonstrate their financial wisdom by showing they can come up
with a large amount of money at their death; and show their kindness by
donating this money to a non-profit company that helps very sick people.

Hey - Wait a minute!  Cryonics patients already do all this.


So all we have to change is the proceedure from chopping off the head to
scientificaly removing the brain.  One small step for man one large step
for cryonics.

For people who don't understand cryonics (over 90% of Americans and over
99% of everyone else) the thought of chopping off one's head (in reality
they are chopping off one's body) is a crude and vulgar act.

Off with the head proceedure, on with the brain donation, for agnostics, of
course.

Dave

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