Posted on 08/26/2006 9:39:03 AM PDT by The Cuban
This morning, I renewed my driver's license. Of course, on the application they asked me if I wanted to donate my organs in the eventuality of my death.
Being an altruist by nature, my first reaction was, why not, it could help somebody. But then a fear crept into my head - what if I was seriously ill, and "they" decided to hasten my as of yet not-inevitable death to harvest my organs?
While my first reaction was that is absurd, I decided to chose "no" given the well grounded fear that in today's society, where life is given no meaning by medical "ethicists", someone could consider my death to be a convenient expedient.
I am angry. I know that by checking "yes", I could have possibly given someone a chance to survive in the future but chose not to do so to save myself.
I am angrier that I had to think in this manner, thanks to the culture of death.
I am angriest, that I am not the only one who has so decided, and that as a result I am convinced that people who could otherwise have been saved have died as a result of an artificially low number of organ donations.
Just another day on the slippery slope.
You have proof of these allegations (actually, urban legends)? Did you read the maetrial in post 62?
I agree with your statement. Otherwise, your organs could very likely go to a death row prison inmate. Wouldn't that be just grand? I think not.
Yeah, but if people could designate who'd get the organs, you'd have movie stars and other celebrities getting huge quantities of organs in the mail every day. Eventually they'd pile up in the livingroom and begin to stink.
And if some child dies in the meantime because you withheld a donation on the grounds that somewhere they might be a death row inmate who need a organ, that's ok with you, right?
Then what they did was illegal.
You should have gone to the authorities.
I didn't say the family would be charged.
I wrote of the family's loss (the departed loved one) and the cost (the loss and the funeral).
The only sure way to keep your organs from being taken without your permission is to have a surgeon open you up and tattoo every organ of value with:
Property of___________if found, drop in nearest mailbox, P.O. Box______.
"Otherwise, your organs could very likely go to a death row prison inmate."
Hmm...let's have a look at what you wrote. You said that organs could "very likely" go to a death row inmate. How many death row inmates do you suppose there are in the United States of America who are on transplant lists? Compare that to the number of non-inmates who are on those lists.
It's not "very likely" that your organs would go to a death-row inmate. It's INCREDIBLY UNLIKELY that would happen. In fact, I do not believe I have ever heard of a death-row inmate EVER getting a transplant. Have you?
If you think about it, you'll see that what you wrote is palpably silly. It's impossibly unmathematical.
For pete's sake! Think about stuff before you write it, OK?
yep - I am selling you for parts. ;)
You should have gone to the authorities.
Under what FL law?
Oh, and one more thing, just because I have a dozen pt's in the hospital right now needing a heart transplant, doesn't mean I'm trying to kill my other 20 pt's to take their organs!! The absurdity on this thread is embarrasing to the Freeper name!
I won't sign mine for the perfectly sound reason that when I am done with them they will be of no value to anyone; I'm hard on things.
Sigh. Years ago I got a virus that screwed up my blood clotting ability. I can't donate anything—blood, organs, nothing. It is actually something that really makes me sad...especially since I liked giving blood once a year on my birthday as a "thank you for life."
During that whole episode, someone saved my life with donated blood...but I can't return the favor. I sure wish I could.
If you want to engage in wishful thinking, be my guest. I wouldn't want to spoil your fantasy.
I have worked in medicine for 20 years, and I have never, ever heard of such a thing. Ever. Do you have any proof of this statement? Any links to state rules or regulations?
I am 100% behind organ donation. I do believe that it is completely a personal choice. But there is enough Fear, Uncertainty and Disinformation without statements like that.
I've talked to far too many medical professionals who believe in euthanasia to buy the idea that they won't do it because they have failed if you die. They don't have to have a vested interest in it. All they have to believe is that your quality of life is not going to be what they would want, and that you have some healthy organs that could give quality of life to someone else.
I too am concerned about medical professionals making those decisions for me. Of course, I also don't buy into the the death with dignaty blather. I would like to avoid pain as much as possible, but there is nothing very dignified about death.
susie
"Otherwise, your organs could very likely go to a death row prison inmate."
I did some searching. The only case I could find was an Oregon death row inmate who needed an organ. He tried to get a transplant, but the transplant board in Oregon (doctors) denied the request.
I could find not a single record of any organ transplant where the recipient was a death row inmate. There are a few cases, however, where a death row inmate was a donor.
So, I guess your odds there are just about zero that any of your organs would be given to a death row inmate.
I can't carry one. They're huge.
But if they want to pick it up, I'll donate it, sure.
Hey, I learned something here. Discussion is a good thing. At least we are open to new ideas and are willing to learn.
I was actually an organ donor when we lived in TX. When we moved to FL I had second thoughts....
susie
When my nephew died 10 years ago we were all in a state of shock at the hospital. His parents, my brother and his wife were asked about (very gently and sympathetically)donation. There was no way in he11 that they were ready for a decision like that and they said no. A few years later when my brother could talk about it, he expressed his regret.
I had no say so but I would have said yes. I had already thought a lot about it for myself and everyone in my family is very aware that I want them to use anything they can, even parts that we can't dream of right now.
Make the decision now and talk about it openly with friends and family.
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