Should organ donation be manditory?

[Sylvine]

Do I have to check off a box in a form and file it to the government in order to not have my estate taken upon my death and given only to the government? No? Then why must we do it here? I admit, it is not the same, as your organs go nowhere, but that is beside the point.

It's not beside the point. It's the quintessence of the point. Transplantable organs are not only a ressource, they're a vital one in the most direct meaning possible. Why should they be wasted per default?

Noone would ever dream of setting Your estate on fire upon Your death unless specified otherwise. At the very least, You'd expect it to naturally go to Your relatives. Why? It's a convention. There's no inherent logic to it, except that it's better - clearly - than declaring it free-for-all or destroying it altogether. It's a convention that works very well, no doubt, and had some time to estabilish itself...

But so does the presumed consent system, at least in the few countries in Europe which use it - Spain, Belgium, France, Norway, Austria and Italy, if my sources are correct. And according to my knowledge, donation objections from the next of kin are usually not overruled in spite of having that system in place.

Not to mention the whole "given to the government" phrase really gives off the wrong vibe. It's not like "the government" is eating them, or using them as target practice. The organs are given to people who need them to survive. Not granting them the chance for treatment is like denying them Medication because it makes You feel comfortable thinking about it (or even worse, "just because").

~Sylv

 

[bombadilillo]

You do it when you get a drivers liscence/id and you fill out the form.

Don't have either.

Check this box if you want to opt-out.

Just like the EULA which you read every time, of course?

A system where everyone is magicly a donor unless you go down to city hall and fill out a form is not a good system imo.

Totally agree. And is what I've been trying to argue.

If you dont have one you wouldnt be a donor. Since most of the population get one its why the donor issue is already attached to it.

And how are you too blind to see that a form in a box you just throw away, or click past is different then a form you HAVE TO FILL OUT AND SIGN.

Are you too young to have a license/id? Cause when your 21 I bet you want to get one, even if you don't drive. (Or drinkin age in your applicable country)

 

[Nickompoop]

This is why I'm an organ donor. And it's why you should be one, too.

 

[XxSummonerxX]

I have several problems with my organs, as such I'm not allowed to donate, but if I could, I would.

I would say that you can only opt out for religious reasons. Other than that, no, it is mandatory.

 

[-Samurai-]

Screw that. My organs are mine unless I say otherwise, and no living being has the right to say that they're only mine if I sign a form. I was born with them I'll die with them, and they'll be cremated or buried with me.

 

[BrownGaijin]

The major religions have no problems with it, and I've lost relatives because of a lack of donors, nevertheless I still don't think someone should be forced to donate their organs.

 

[Namkrow]

No, organ donation should not be mandatory, if it were mandatory postmortem than it would be implying that the government owns your body once you die and can do with it what it pleases. As to the opt-in/opt-out scenario, I'm going with opt-in. Sharing is a choice, and shouldn't be automatically assumed.

Personally, I feel that if we view the world from an opt-out vantage then it's like someone coming into your home and taking your stuff when your not around simply because you didn't say they couldn't.

 

[bombadilillo]

No, organ donation should not be mandatory, if it were mandatory postmortem than it would be implying that the government owns your body once you die and can do with it what it pleases. As to the opt-in/opt-out scenario, I'm going with opt-in. Sharing is a choice, and shouldn't be automatically assumed.

Opt out does not have to be assumed.

 

[Raeil]

After reading the posts on this page and pages 1 and 2 (I'm not reading 14 pages of this stuff just to express a simple opinion), I'm going to say that I agree that Organ Donation should be opt-out. However, I would like to make an exception for this opt-out program. Humans under the age of 18 are not able to donate organs after death unless their parents have opted them in. I make this distinction based on my morals and also the differences in legal rights of children vs. legal rights of adults. Some children do need organs donated from children, but some part of me (which I will have to explore in order to determine why I have this moral) does not like the idea of automatically having children be organ donors without their knowledge or their parent's knowledge.

 

[darkfox85]

By the way, when you die (*when* you die) an autopsy must be conducted by law to determine your cause of death beyond reasonable doubt. Oh yes. Somewhere out there there's a scalpel with your name carved into it as it will be carved into you.

I wish that were the case consistently in the U.S. Many people die from genetic diseases that could have (and should have) been diagnosed at their parents' autopsy. Unsurprisingly, many people opt out of having people autopsied if they have the choice.

I think opt out is the better option.

Ah. Yes.

Sorry, I hadn't considered this. I know here in the UK that an autopsy is required and in a self-indulgent rush I forgot to think of other countries. I just assumed it was so in the USA, but so many things vary from state to state. I think I sacrificed solid argument to make that paragraph a little more... theatrical. Bad move on my part; and there's a whole mini-arguement in here as well.

If anyone wants to debate this matter privately, by all means, send me a message.

 

[EGtodd09]

Completely agree, and why isn't this a poll? Come on man.

 

[Shio]

By the way, when you die (*when* you die) an autopsy must be conducted by law to determine your cause of death beyond reasonable doubt. Oh yes. Somewhere out there there's a scalpel with your name carved into it as it will be carved into you.

No. An autopsy is only conducted if the death is suspicious and the doctor who writes the certificate of death declares it so. If you die of a disease or sickness, of old age or in an accident, if there is no reason to suspect foul-play, nothing happens. This coming from someone in the know about the morgue industry.

Considering millions upon millions of people die every day, it is simply impossible to give everyone an autopsy.

 

[Sikratua]

It should definitely be opt-out rather than opt-in in my opinion, certainly in times of shortage.

I tried finding a video of it, but I couldn't. So, here's a transcript of George Carlin explaining everything that is wrong with what you just said.

Organ donor programs. Does that shit bother you a little bit? Sound like Joseph Mangle has been sitting in on some of those meetings or something. The thing that bothers me the most about it is, they're run by the motor vehicle bureau. I figure hey shit if you got to wait on a line that long for a kidney, fuck it. Do without. It's the motor vehicle bureau in most states who sends you the little card your supposed to carry right next to your driver's license, in your wallet. A little card, your supposed to fill it out, and on it your supposed to list the organs your willing to give in case you die. Oh, are these people out of their fucking minds or something? Do you honestly believe that if a paramedic finds that card on you in an automobile accident, he going to try to save your life? Bullshit! He's looking for parts man. Absolutely. "Look Dan, here's that lower intestine we've looking for. Nevermind the oxygen, this man's a donor." Bullshit, they can have my rectum and my anus. That's all I'm giving, take them and get out of here. Put them in your bag and get the fuck out of my life. That's all I'm giving. I don't want some guy poking around in me hoping I die, I want to live. I don't want to die. That's the whole secret of life...not dying! I figured that shit out alone in third grade.

Any questions? And, for the record, I am signed up to be an organ donor.

 

[NightlyNews]

Organs I'm not as sure about but when it comes to blood donation, it should be mandatory. I mean all that excuses I have heard are pathetic. I can't give blood because I'm Diabetic, yeah apparently I'm on the same category as someone with AIDS or something . It really annoys me that so many people are afraid of a needle :|

America doesn't have a blood shortage. I'm AB+ my friend is O+ and gives all the time, but my blood is significantly less valuable and I get headaches every time I give blood.

Why in the hell should it be mandatory to take my significantly less valuable blood? Trust me in emergency situations where they don't have time to test or simply don't trust testing your blood they'd just use my friends anyway.

 

[Sikratua]

America doesn't have a blood shortage. I'm AB+ my friend is O+ and gives all the time, but my blood is significantly less valuable and I get headaches every time I give blood.

Why in the hell should it be mandatory to take my significantly less valuable blood? Trust me in emergency situations where they don't have time to test or simply don't trust testing your blood they'd just use my friends anyway.

But, your blood isn't "less valuable." While Type O is a universal donor for red blood cells, AB is the universal donor for plasma.

The rest of it, about how there's "not a blood shortage," yeah... That's kinda bullshit, man. Your friend's blood usually ends up solely being used on people with O+ blood, because not enough people donate Type O blood. Me? I'm O- (the actual Universal Donor for red blood cells) and donate the double pull every 16 weeks.

 

[AgDr_ODST]

I'd be in favor of making it mandatory. And having to opt out instead of volunteering your organs by way of the card.

 

[nuba km]

See this argument doesn't work on me as my logic is, once I am dead anything that happens to my corpse doesn't really matter, I don't care if it is used as a urinal.

The argument is meant to fail to prove the futility of appealing to all aspects of humanity.

Even under the current systen, you'd be fine to have your body donated to tigers or even cannibals. I believe Germany actually does it, though that may just be rumour.

Also to answer your question I would be fine with having the remainder of my corpse to be fed to the animals.

But would you be equally fine with feeding someone else's corpse to them. Someone who didn't have the chance/ability to opt out?

the gm does say that he means a opt-out system so every person would have the chance to opt out, and to answer your question, yes, why? because they are dead so they can't exactly judge me or feel hurt by what I am doing. I mean people could say they will bury you (or what ever you want to happen to your corpse) but they could end up stuffing it and using it has a coat hanger, you wouldn't know and it wouldn't affect you.

 

[mik1]

It shouldn't be mandatory because that kind of seems like the government saying you must donate your organs. Which doesn't sound very good.

Though everyone should donate their organs there's no reason not to.

 

[Denamic]

When I'm dead, I won't give a shit either way.

 

[S3Cs4uN 8]

Personally i see organ donor(ing?) as a bit unneeded if we invested more in stem cell research we could just grow organs any way.


I would never donate my organs to anyone regardless if Im living or dead if they couldn't look after their own organs they can die just like very one else my organs are staying in me.