From: Brett Paatsch (bpaatsch@bigpond.net.au)
Date: Wed Jul 23 2003 - 18:15:48 MDT
JDP writes:
Giu1i0 Pri5c0 a écrit (22.7.2003/19:58) :
> > I can understand the logic bu
> > which the lawyer chose to defend the legality
> > of freezing as a way of burial, instead of trying
> > to defend the idea of cryonics itself. The lawyer
> > must have thought that insisting on something
> > controversial like cryonics was not a good
> > strategy. But, see things from this point of view.
> > A corpse is an "object" to be disposed of as
> > quickly, safely and inexpensively as possible
> > (remember, France is a secular country,
> > probably much less than the US). So choosing
> > how to bury a corpse is not a big ethical issue,
> > and from the point of view of a magistrate the
> > best is just following what the current law says.
> > Insisting on cryonics, the right to hope to be
> > revived, etc., would turn it into an ethical issue.
> > Perhaps this is a better strategy.
> I think so, too, and I sent a letter to that effect to
> the lawyer,
> In any case, that strategy won't be very easy,
> either.
> In particular, the judges need to somehow
> swallow that cryonics is not a mere symptom
> of pathetical delusion.
As a matter of law, *why* do the judges need to
somehow swallow that? Is pathetic delusion or its
mere symptom itself now a crime. And if so which
are the minority religious faiths and how many
astrologers are there crowding French jails?
Alas then, for the land of Voltaire and the birthplace
of *liberty*, equality, fraternity, when judges presume
to judge science or pre-judge scientific possibilities
and set aside the principle that even fools that harm no
one by their eccentric choices should be denied their
right to make such choices.
Is there no organisation of civil libertarians in France?
Are there no philosophers or lawyers students that
wish to be famous and launch or rejuvenate their
careers in defence of an old principle of freedom even
when to do so would ensure that they would get
their names in the paper and a wealth of publicity for
free?
Regards,
Brett
(who does not speak French)
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