X-Message-Number: 2301
Subject: CRYONICS research
From:  (Charles Platt)
Date: Mon, 07 Jun 93 01:22:20 EDT

I strongly disagree that investing in 21st Century Medicine is equivalent 
to a charitable donation. A charitable donation is usually understood to 
be money for other people who are less fortunate than oneself. Putting 
money into 21st Century Medicine is presumably done in the hope of 
benefiting one's own self.

I've been very interested (and somewhat discouraged) by the amount of 
quibbling and equivocation I have heard, from more than one source, re 
the share offering from 21st. It isn't profit oriented enough, it wasn't 
done professionally enough, the research should be focused on THIS 
instead of THAT ... and so on.

During the short time I have been in cryonics (about two years) the one 
topic on which everyone has agreed is that we need more research into ALL 
relevant areas. Now we see a group of people, who are better qualified, 
in my opinion, than anyone else in the world to pursue some of the goals 
they have chosen, and they have come up with the necessary manpower and 
equipment to actually DO SOMETHING, and all I hear is the sound of 
nitpicking.

I am aware of some deficiencies in the offering. I think it could stress 
the potential for profit more than it does. But is that really sufficient 
grounds for turning away with a shrug and offering no support? I feel 
almost as if the ill will that was created last year has cast a lingering 
negativity over everything and everyone, to the point where no one even 
wants to believe that some area of cryonics might offer real hope. Do we 
feel so betrayed (because one aspect of cryonics failed to live up to our 
ideals) that we're now determined not to get "fooled again"? Or what?

Seems to me, if a bunch of talented, highly qualified people dedicate 
themselves to solving problems of vital importance to all of us, and they 
are ready to do this for very little money, they deserve our enthusiastic 
support.

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