X-Message-Number: 23502
From: "David Pizer" <>
Subject: Alcor & Arizona  - Pizer's Take
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 16:00:31 -0800


When I first heard about cryonics, over 20 years ago, it was a result of a 
newspaper article that was  intended to be negative or poke fun at cryonics.  I 
was drinking coffee one morning, (before work),  with several of my friends and 
one of them had a newspaper article that he read to us.  It went something like 
this --  "People in California belong to an organization that freezes bodies of 
people when the are (legally) dead and stores them in hopes that scientists in 
the future can revive them and then they can live on."   The others in my group 
laughed when they heard this and I was silent - so they all looked at me, the 
only one who was not laughing,  and I just said in a very serious tone of voice,
"Can I have that article, please."

A few days later I was signed up for cryonics.



What does this all mean?   It means two things:  Alcor is at some risk of a bad 
law being passed in Arizona right now; and it means that we in cryonics have yet
another chance to be in the public eye and show the world what kind of people 
we really are, people who takes risks to choose life instead of death, people 
who are not afraid to stand up for their beliefs, we are serious and we will not
stand for our rights to be trampled.  But, we also respect the rights of those 
who do not understand or agree with us.


First let's talk about the risk to Alcor.  At present this anti-cryonics bill is
before the Arizona House (or in one of their committees).  If it gets passed in
the house, it will have to then be passed in the Senate, and then the Governor 
will have to sign it, before it becomes a law.  There are several places where 
this terrible bill can be stopped.     Even if it gets passed as a law, Alcor 
can then challenge it in the courts.


This bill is so bad, that I believe,  it will be stopped somewhere along this 
chain of events.  There will be costs to Alcor and its members to do this 
including money costs and manpower costs.  We all have to be prepared to help 
out in any way that Alcor needs us.


Now let's talk about opportunity.  This is a time when cryonics will be in the 
news, sandwiched between stories about some movie star or sports hero killing or
raping some pool soul.  Let's make sure that the public knows that we are in 
the news not for supporting some horrible thing that usually makes the 
headlines, but because we support the opportunity to extend life, and that 
reason alone intimidates some powerful people who don't understand us.   This is
a time when we cryonicists can show the world that we are regular people just 
like everyone else, with the exception that we will take heroic means to choose 
life over death.   This is a time when your well-written letter to the editor, 
or letter to  your elected official can do the cryonics movement some good.  
This is a good time to talk to your family, friends or loved ones about the 
possibility of their involvement.


Certainly, we are all angry at some politicians and news reporters for not 
understanding what we are about.  We are angry if we think they are using their 
positions to harm those who hold opposite views to what they believe.  But as 
long as we are polite and articulate in discussing cryonics we can use this 
chain of events to further the cryonics movement and help additional humans 
along the way.


I have confidence in the people running Alcor at the present time to protect us 
and capitalize on this opportunity to advance our goals, and we are grateful to 
their efforts to protect Alcor and move us forward.

David Pizer

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