X-Message-Number: 16381 Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 15:50:55 -0400 From: Jeffrey Soreff <> Subject: Re: choice Charles Platt wrote: >This absolutism is very strange to me. All I want is the right to make a >choice. If I can defy my biological heritage and destiny, defeat death, >copy my intelligence into a computer, or use any other strategy to achieve >transcendence, I claim that right. If I find that life is intolerable and >I wish to end it, because I am in intolerable pain, or am suffering from >locked-in syndrome, or some other condition that induces fear and misery, >I claim the right to end my life. >This is a very consistent attitude. It simply says that I have more >authority than the state, the church, or any other entity, when it comes >to my existence or nonexistence. This is the reason I became involved in >cryonics, and is also the reason why I believe any compassionate system >should allow (but not promote) euthanasia, just as it should allow life >extension or human cryopreservation. Entirely agreed. I too value individual autonomy. Personally, longevity is not directly an end in itself, but a means towards maximizing my enjoyment of my life. Depending on circumstances, optimizing for this goal might entail any of the options you list, so I want them all available. Barring circumstances where it is completely unavoidable (e.g. coma), I certainly don't want anyone else imposing choices on me! Best wishes, -Jeffrey Soreff Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=16381