X-Message-Number: 5668
Newsgroups: sci.cryonics
From:  (Brad Templeton)
Subject: Re: Death penalty
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 1996 07:40:38 GMT
Message-ID: <>

References: <> 
<4e06vs$>

I am told they do a cut-open-the-brain autopsy on the executed, so that
pretty much leaves out cryonics.

If a cryonics org wanted some publicity -- perhaps in the "any press is
good press" sense -- they could of course offer a free suspension for
the brain of a convicted killer.

The bad publicity would of course be helping the killers, and publicity
for neuro tends to brand cryonics as for kooks, and there are of course
many people who deserve a free suspension more than 1st degree murderers.

But the publicity argument would be, "change the punishment.  Instead of
death give them a possible, though very uncertain, ticket to the future."
Have a convict plead for the right to suspension, saying that death without
the right to suspension is cruel and unusual punishment.   They probably
won't win, you probably won't have to give away even one free suspension,
but the court case would give some big publicity.

Of course the anti-death-penalty forces might think this is bad, making
execution more acceptable!  But they almost might think that at least
the irreversible current system would gain some improvement.

No, I actually think there are better ways to get publicity than this,
but it would be interesting.
-- 
Brad Templeton, publisher, ClariNet Communications Corp.	 
The net's #1 E-Newspaper (1,160,000 paid sbscrbrs.)  http://www.clari.net/brad/


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