X-Message-Number: 1811
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 93 01:00:18 CST
From: Brian Wowk <>
Subject: CRYONICS member exclusion

Brian Wowk:
 
>>        An Alcor member is someone who pays dues and gets a magazine.  
>> I don't see how anyone paying dues and getting a magazine can threaten 
>> my survival.  Of course, there is also a contractual obligation to 
>> provide suspension services, but Alcor already reserves the right to 
>> exercise discretion in performing suspensions under dangerous 
>> circumstances. 
 
Keith Henson:
 
> I was not aware of this clause.  Could you give me a pointer to it?
 
        A 1992 draft of the new Alcor information brochure by Ralph
Whelan ended with the following section:
 
> NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
 
>     &&The Alcor Life Extension Foundation believes that every human has a 
> right to choose and arrange for his or her own cryonic suspension and to 
> enjoy its possible benefits of greatly extended lifespan.  To this end, 
> the Alcor Life Extension Foundation does not discriminate against any 
> person on the basis of race, religion, color, creed, age, marital status, 
> national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation or preference, medical 
> condition, or handicap.
 
>     Although Alcor typically accepts cases involving AIDS, HIV infection, 
> and other communicable diseases, nothing in this statement prevents Alcor 
> from avoiding any situation that genuinely threatens the health or safety 
> of Alcor employees, volunteers, patients in suspension, or the public, or 
> from requiring reasonable medical evaluations in some instances where a 
> genuine threat to health or safety may be suspected to exist, or where the 
> legal status of an individual with regard to mental competency may be in 
> question.
 
        I think these thoughts are very good (and well put).  I had 
assumed they represented Alcor policy.
 
Keith:
 
> You seem to be saying that Alcor (as an artificial person) should
> hold itself to accepting contracts *involuntarily*, ... 
 
        How can a person "hold themselves" to something involuntarily?
Of course all business dealings must be voluntary and by mutual consent.  
What I am saying is that it is in Alcor's best interests to 
*voluntarily* be as liberal as possible in accepting members into the 
organization.  Anyone who pays their dues and maintains suspension 
funding should be able to be a member.  Revoking memberships when 
members do "damage to the organization" is a very bad idea because 
"damage to the organization" cannot be accurately defined.  In fact, in 
the context of recent events the idea smacks of enforced 
ideological/political conformity.
 
                                                --- Brian Wowk  

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