X-Message-Number: 31363
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:33:35 -0800 (PST)
From: david pizer <>
Subject: Protection for cryonicists


The following is written in an informal style.  It is the very early stage of 
opening a discussion to the cryonics community to solicit your ideas, 
suggestions and expertise in the matter of its subject.



The Venturists Directors have been considering allowing the Society for 
Venturism to hold power of attorney from cryoncists (for those cryonicists who 
want to give it) to act on their behalf should they ever get in a similar 
situation as some past cryonicists have found themselves in - mainly where 
non-cryoncists or anti-cryoncists have legal control of their body.


If the idea becomes reality a cryonicst could give the Venturists power of 
attorney in sickness or at legal death to make decisions for them.  So if, for 
instance, you ended up in a mental state where you could not assert your desire 
to be frozen and there were others who legally had the right to make decisions 
for you that were not going to get you frozen, we could take control and try to 
see that your cryonics wishes were honored.


In some cases we might not be able to prevail.  In some cases the relatives or 
others might be able to outspend us, or other problems could come up.  Giving 
the Venturists power of attorney to try to help you is not a guarantee that we 
can prevail. But it might make the difference in some cases.


You probably could give a similar power of attorney to the organization you are 
paying to do your suspension but I think opponents would have a harder time 
discrediting the Venturists (trying to get you frozen) for the main reason that 
the Society for Venturism does not receive any money when you get suspended and 
your suspension organization does.


People who do not understand why we want to be frozen and/or who are generally 
not supportive of cryonics (maybe the judge or jury in your case) historically 
have suspected the main reason cryonics companies exist is to make money - even 
thought we have given evidence to them many times over that is not the main 
reason, and not even a valid reason.


What we are looking for now are ideas on how the cryonics public would like to 
see this set up, or if they even like the idea at all.


Should be offer this service.  Should we ask that when someone gives us power of
attorney to try to enforce their cryonics wishes that we ask for a donation, 
(if they can afford it), to go into a general fund to build up a cash reserve to
be available if we need to hire an attorney to help out?


Also, there are many types of power of attorney forms.  One that I think we 
might need may be called "durable" in that it is still in effect after the giver
dies.  I don't know much about this.


Also, we might also accept power of attorney to make medical decisions so that 
relatives could not keep a patient on life support while their brain is 
decomposing.  After all, the main organ we want to preserve is the brain.


Anyhow please feel free to send your comments to Cryonet, that is where we will 
monitor the discussion and reply.  You can copy this and post it in other forums
if you like but ask others to reply in Cryonet.

Sincerely,

David Pizer  
For the Society for Venturism

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