X-Message-Number: 21213
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 20:31:27 -0800 (PST)
From: Christine Gaspar <>
Subject: regarding deathists

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I find it deeply disturbing to read about people who utterly reject cryonics as 
being immoral, disgusting, insane, etc. I read the latest cryonet posting where 
a "friend" of Ted Williams allegedly toured Alcor, and found it to be a 
terrible, unclean, horrific place, where Ted had to share a dewar with several 
other suspendees. I found that article to be extremely unprofessional in its 
presentation and clearly insulting of Alcor and its representatives. It becomes 
clearer to me that reporters / journalists who write about cryonics in such a 
manner obviously don't do enough fact checking. That is evidenced in the fact 
that they confuse cryonics with cryogenics. That alone tells me that they did 
not ask a single cryonicist anything  before going to press and saying such 
insulting things about Alcor. 

I am repeatedly amazed by the inappropriateness of such articles, and the strong
anti-cryonics sentiments. What is so terrible about not wanting to go to the 
grave? What is so immoral about taking one last shot at a longer life? Our 
society frowns upon euthanasia, murder and suicide. One would think that life 
extensionist ideas would be valued by this society. Just once I would like to 
look one of these reporters in the eye and ask him or her what is so bad about 
wanting to live longer. What is so repulsive about wanting to carefully prepare 
someone with chemicals to prevent cold and ischaemic damage, then place one's 
body in liquid nitrogen, rather than incinerating or burying it? I find it far 
more macabre to have one's loved one's ashes sitting in an urn on one's mantle. 
Or how about the concept of being eaten by worms? Is that better? Did we lose 
our fundamental right to having a belief system based on the hopes that science 
will ultimately save us, rather than trusting our fate to the gods? If cryonics 
was a religion (which it is not), then such articles could be likened to 
spreading hate in the press. 

I'm sorry if my strong opinions have offended anyone, but I am very offended 
with these attitudes. It stifles progress. For those people who wish for a 
traditional funeral, and live in the hopes that their souls will travel to an 
eternal paradise, I wish all of you good journey. But please do not ridicule my 
belief that when I die, that is the end of the road. I will do whatever I can to
prolong my life as much as possible. I ask only for the same respect in return.
Christine Gaspar 

 

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