X-Message-Number: 1597
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 93 04:46:28 GMT
From:  (Michael Clive Price)
Subject: CRYONICS Immortality and Neurosuspension

I am writing to second Thomas Donaldson on the need for honestly and
upfrontness about the use of the I- and N- words in public discussions. 
Yes we are in the business of immortality.  And yes we freeze peoples'
heads.  

People come in two types: stupid and sensible.

Stupid people gag at crazies like us thinking we can live for ever.  As
for chopping off heads..!!!  They are never go to sign up, so let's
ignore them when thinking about marketing.  They're history.

Sensible people may or may not find the ideas of immortality and
neurosuspension repulsive etc for the partially instinctive reasons that
Steve Harris so cogently explained.  If they are happy and comfortable
with the concepts then it won't do any harm for us to tackle these
subjects in public.  

The problem area remains with sensible people (potential cryonauts!) who
are unhappy with immortality/neurosuspension.  Are they going to be
reassured by the sight of cryonauts squirming about on public platforms
trying to deny what every well-informed person knows about cryonics -
namely that we chop of heads and we want to live for ever?  No they are
not.  Think how we feel when we see on TV or hear on radio a politician
squirming about denying some obvious truth.  Does it inspire us with
confidence?  No it does not!  Joe Sixpack might swallow all their crap,
but then he's never going to sign for suspension anyway.  Politicians
are help in such low esteem (at least in the UK, and I would guess
elsewhere in the world) because they are such unctuous, slimy, loathsome
creatures.  No one trusts them and they're professionals at the art of
lying.  Most cryonauts are honest and very bad (thank goodness) at
lying.  Be truthful and it shows.  Candour impresses, deceit doesn't.

Another reason for putting forward the message more directly is that
*you* may not mention immortality and neuropreservation, but you can be
damned sure the media will.  We will always be introduced as those
'crazies'.  Look at Omni.  Charles Platt said he tried very hard to not
use the I-word.  Didn't stop Omni, though, did it?

Mike Price ()

PS on the subjects of sound bites I liked Robert Grahame's line "If I 
wanted death, I'd joined EXIT, not Alcor".  This might only make sense 
in the UK, where EXIT was the name of the society which campaigned for
euthanasia.  Funnily enough they have recently changed their name to 
some unmemorable mouthful.  An unwise move I think, because EXIT did
encapsulate what they stood for.  Perhaps Alcor should rename itself 
LIFE? :-)

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