X-Message-Number: 15784
From: "Marta Sandberg" <>
Subject: A matter of choice
Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2001 21:17:50 -0000

I have been lucky. When I became a cryonicist, about a decade ago, there 
were a wide variety of organizations to choose from. It didn t matter that I 
lived in Australia, I could still join Alcor, CI, ACS or TransTime. A little 
bit later CryoCare came on the scene.

As it had spent several years studying cryonics before I contacted any of 
the organizations I had quite firm ideas of what I wanted and expected from 
a cryonics organization.

It still wasn t easy.

I was almost spoiled for choice. There were endless lists with each 
organizations pros and cons. How do you compare the Circle of Willis with 
the time saved by having a local funeral director?

I think, in the end, it came down to a matter of which organization I felt 
most comfortable with. Who closest followed what my thoughts on cryonics. 
You could say I ended up by weighing the philosophy of each organization.

Today the situation is different for any wane-be cryonicists outside the 
States.

In many cases a new cryonicists feel they only have one choice. CI or 
nothing.

I think CI is a good choice. It was, after all, my choice all those years 
ago. But I think that I would have suffered resentment if I had felt forced 
into CI. Certainly, I wouldn t have been as tolerant of some aspects of CI 
that sometimes grates if it hadn t been _my_free_choice.

There has been a bit of verbal animosity towards CI lately, mainly driven by 
non-USA cryonicists. I wonder how much of this is due to the fact that today 
they don t have wide choice I had when I signed up.

Part of the rancour might be due to the lack of choice. Some people find 
themselves pushed towards one single organization. Sometimes it will not be 
the organization they would naturally prefer.

I don t know what can be done to change the current situation.

Cryonics is going through a tremendous growth phase outside the States. That 
must be a good thing for our movement.

Alcor is showing more caution in taking on overseas members. Their reasoning 
for this is well thought out and in line with their philosophy, but it still 
leaves the problem of non-US cryonicists.

CI should not change to accommodate the new influx that really wants an 
Alcor look-alike. That is probably not possible and wouldn t be fair to 
existing members. The ones who like CI just the way it is.

Maybe ACS and TransTime could become more active overseas? If they could 
post a short summary of their ability to accept overseas members it might 
give back some choice to the wane-be cryonicists out there.

Or maybe there is another solution?

Any suggestions. . .


Marta

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