X-Message-Number: 22457 Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2003 00:32:26 -0500 From: BJKlein <> Subject: WTA defending CI The following was sent to Michigan's Attorney General in defence of CI on behalf of WTA. --- Dear Attorney General Mike Cox, The World Transhumanist Association (WTA) submits the following letter in defense of the Clinton Township, Michigan based Cryonics Institute (CI). The WTA has recently learned that CI has been ordered to shut down by the Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services. As an organization which supports the use of advanced technology to improve the lives of all people, the WTA is puzzled and shocked by the recent action. As a membership supported organization with dozens of chapters and affiliates in cities across North America and around the world, the WTA has a number of members who are signed up for cryonics including a number of who are signed up with CI. It is clear to us that CI has operated as an exemplary nonprofit organization for as long as we have know them. For 27 years CI has operated as a 501 3 non-profit organization. All financial information is available to the public on IRS form 990. No CI director nor any member has ever been shown to have gained substantially from their work at CI. Furthermore, we believe there is a clear difference between mortuary services and the service that the CI provides. CI works at maintaining people in cryostasis in the hope that they can be revived once technology permits the repair of their bodies and brains. Therefore it would be inappropriate to regulate CI under statutes governing mortuary services. Thus the WTA asks that the Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services please reconsider its proposal to shut down the Cryonics Institute. Thank you for taking the time to consider the above information. We will be happy to provide any further information which may help in making your decision. Sincerely, Bruce J. Klein In conjunction with, and on behalf of fellow WTA Directors: Chair, Nick Bostrom Ph.D. Vice Chair, Giulio Prisco Secretary, James Hughes Ph.D. Treasurer, Mike Treder Publications Director, Mark Walker Ph.D. Michael LaTorra Ziana Astralos Eliezer Yudkowsky Tarik Theo Ibrahim Links: State Orders Local Cryonics Institute To Close - <http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/2434929/detail.html>http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/2434929/detail.html Cryonics Institute (CI) - <http://www.cryonics.org/>http://www.cryonics.org/ The World Transhumanist Association (WTA) - <http://www.transhumanism.org/>http://www.transhumanism.org/ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" [ AUTOMATICALLY SKIPPING HTML ENCODING! ] Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=22457