Do we own our organs?

The discussion on the organ trade in another thread makes me wonder about why we have this whole organ ownership issue. If one person is dying because of the need for an organ transplant, why do we need permission to harvest organs from accident victims or other corpses?

Shouldn't the needs of the living supersede those of the dead?

Why should someone have to die because someone else prefers his organs rot rather than save a life?

Wouldn't it cut down on the black market if organs were made more freely available to desperate patients?

What do you think?

 

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Do you feel the same way about inheritance in general? If an elderly woman leaves all of her money to the local home for orphaned cats, should the government be allowed to override her wishes and give that money to starving children in Africa?

Organs are individual property, and therefore said individual has a right to determine what happens to their organs once they die, within the limits of the law.

 

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You are comparing between different uses of money and disposal of an organ which could save a life.

 

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Money could save a life. Indeed, it could save *many* lives in areas of the third world which require cheap but essential resources.

 

Indeed which is why no one would opt to destroy it rather than use it.

 

Trajkov your actually wrong.

SAM in westen sociaty nither the person NOR the goverment own a body. You cant put your body in your will and make your wishes binding like you can with physical possetions.

Its something which annoys me, you can put your wishes for no treatment down on a form and have them legally enforced, you can put your posetions into a will and again with in reason its legally enforced (the exception being if you have dependents you exclude or if there is evidence of fraud in the will) but you cant bind that your an organ donor. That decision belongs to next of kin ALONE, you can show your wishes on medical power of attorney forms (and probably a will as well but that gets pulled out latter where as med forms tend to be delt with at or before death), on your licence, on an organ donor form but in the end your NOK can overrule them all and say either yes or no

 

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I can't wait until this issue comes up in the American debate.

I think people's general fear is the power of corruption in a life and death stake. Mandatory organ donation scares Americans. The best we can hope for is to encourage and increase voluntary enrollment in the program.

And that doesn't even begin to touch the deeper issue embodied in someone like me. I mean, really, it's not like I'm taking good care of my internal organs. It may be that I die someday and nothing works well enough to be of any use.

Frankly, the condition of my organs after my death isn't the most compelling reason I can think of to alter my behavior. I would probably scoff if anyone actually made the suggestion that I owe it to people to not destroy myself that way.

Life goes on ... for the living.

 

Like the individual's descendants using it on frivolous crap such as a plasma tv or a night with a hooker?

In the grand scheme of things, allowing a body to rot isn't actually wasting it. The tissue just decomposes and returns to the earth and atmosphere, to be incorporated into new life forms.

 

How many people would accept a persons desire that his assets all be destroyed upon his death, because he had no desire to allow anyone else to benefit from them?

 

His descendants wouldn't be happy about it, but they wouldn't really have much of a say in the matter. They could choose to challenge the will, although I'm not sure how successful they would be.

 

pardon but registering....

A simple online registration at the Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry or at any DMV location will save the lives of others once you are gone. Also, when you have to go into the DMV to renew or get a new driver's license, you can register to become a donor. Your driver's license will be marked with a pink donor sticker; however, that alone is not legally enough to declare your intentions.

To supplement the sticker, you will be given a donor card that you should carry with your license. You have the opportunity (and obligation) to specify which types of organs and tissue you want to donate, and if you want your body to be used for medical research, transplants, or both.

In addition to your signature on the donor card, you'll need the signature of a witness. You must be at least 18 years old to sign.

There are absolutely no fees involved. Many family say it also helps their grieving process to know that their loved one lives on, helping someone else.


i can be harvested for shit

 

Yeah I'm already registered as a whole body donor. They can take whatever works.

 

Same.

Seen this movie?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Warrant

 

No, but I'm surprised I missed it. I have a soft spot for the Muscles from Brussels.

 

tiassa you just reminded me of that monty python skech where the person was down as an organ donor so they can and cut him up while still alive

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Once I'm dead, I don't care.

 

Don't they harvest organs from executed criminals in China? What interest would anyone have in an appeals process then if convicts could be harvested?

 

Thousands of people die everyday that have no relatives or others who could'nt say what they wanted to do with their organs. Is it right to harvest those who cannot speak what they would want done? Homeless people are like that .

 

Do you think many homeless people would have healthy enough organs to harvest?

if homeless people's organs could be harvested, I think we would see a rise in their murder rate

 

There are many issues that would come up if that were ever to happen. They could sell their organs as well to get money to live better. :shrug:

As far as being healthy well I really do not know what condition many oif their organs are in . But at least their organs might be better than none at all if YOU are ever in need.