Are you an organ donor?

[Dave Gray]

Masterfins requested this poll.


I am one, and made it a point that I am one -- this was way back.  I believe you used to have to opt in...I'm not sure anymore.

Not to turn this into an abortion debate, but it's interesting that you can still refuse to give away pieces of your body even after you're dead.  It's your body, your choice, even at the cost of other people.  It's an interesting question about body autonomy when you're dealing with the dead.

I support someone's right to deny their organs being harvested, but if you do, you're probably an asshole.

I knew one guy when I was younger who refused to be an organ donor because "what if they gave my heart to serial killer".  That guy was and is a known idiot.

I knew others who refused, based on a belief that if paramedics see that you're an organ donor on your license, they will not try as hard to resuscitate you.  That is conspiracy nonsense, IMO, but at least it's self-serving.

I bet there are some religious groups against it.

Death is weird.  We generally hold up people's customs and beliefs about death even when we don't like the people or don't agree with anything about that.  ...even our most evil villains, we respect their body after death, for the most part.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

It is an interesting analogy to abortion.  While I agree with you that people should have a right to refuse to be organ donors, I would say that a LIVING woman has a greater right to autonomy over her uterus than a dead one has over her heart.  So while I would oppose a mandatory organ donation law, I would be less opposed to that than an abortion ban.

As for the serial killer argument.  That is pretty weak.  I would put it up there with arguing that if abortion was legal in 1934 then 15 yo, Kathleen Manson-Bower-Cavender would have likely had one and the world would never had to deal with Charles Manson therefore abortion should be legal.  A pretty weak argument at best.  

The EMT argument is also flawed.  In fact it is the opposite.  If you are not an organ donor and the EMTs view you as a lost cause there is no real incentive to keep you alive.  If you are an organ donor, they need to keep you alive so the organs remain viable.  

While I would not support making organ donation mandatory.  I do think it should change from opt-in to opt-out. As it stands now if you do nothing, you are not an organ donor.  You need to fill-out a form to become an organ donor.  I would like to see the opposite, you are automatically enrolled as an organ donor, unless you fill out a form to opt out.

I recall a few years ago reading about one bar owner who came up with a creative way to promote organ donation after his wife received on.  Free nachos with the purchase of a pitcher of beer for organ donors.  You have to show the DL to buy the beer, if the DL said organ donor you got the nachos on the house.      

[Phishfan]

Been an organ donor since my first drivers license. Unfortunately I'm getting to the age where nothing is going to do anyone much good.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Unfortunately I'm getting to the age where nothing is going to do anyone much good.

I am not so sure about your choice of word there. 

[Sunstroke]

I'm with Phish on this one. I've always been a donor, but these days, I'd be hard-pressed to give any of them away...

[CF DolFan]

My wife and I both are although as we get older I don't know how viable that is either.

[Fau Teixeira]

I would put it up there with arguing that if abortion was legal in 1934 then 15 yo, Kathleen Manson-Bower-Cavender would have likely had one and the world would never had to deal with Charles Manson therefore abortion should be legal.  A pretty weak argument at best.

Not to derail this, but this point specifically was analysed in the book Freakonomics. There's solid statistical correlation between the Roe ruling and the drop in crime 18+ years later. (right around Clinton's first term) So not really that weak.

[EDGECRUSHER]

I am as well as bone marrow (although the odds of them calling you are like the odds of winning the lottery). I do see the emotional argument against it for the family to decide if the death is sudden or the person has no brain function and they are waiting to pull the plug. Must be gruelingly difficult to know that a loved one is gone but still technically alive and then have Doctors come in and talk to you about organ donation.

I can't imagine any parent in this situation would be okay with donating their 6 year old daughter's organs, even if it makes logical sense.

As far as adults, I encourage everyone to donate. Literally saving lives.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I can't imagine any parent in this situation would be okay with donating their 6 year old daughter's organs, even if it makes logical sense.

If a parent donates their 6 yo child’s organs, it is not for a logical reason it is for an emotional one.  “Today is the absolute fucking worst day of my life.  By signing this form, maybe, just maybe some other mom won’t have the fucking worst day of her life. But rather the miracle she is praying for will be answered.”

[EDGECRUSHER]

If a parent donates their 6 yo child’s organs, it is not for a logical reason it is for an emotional one.  “Today is the absolute fucking worst day of my life.  By signing this form, maybe, just maybe some other mom won’t have the fucking worst day of her life.”

You could be right on that, I just don't want to demonize parents in this situation if they say no. Their grief makes it understandable for me.

[masterfins]

I've always been an organ donor, but as others have said as I'm now in my 50's the parts aren't as good as they used to be.  Correlating to that Edge brings up a good point about minor children, and perhaps young adults.  I'm not a parent so I don't have any direct viewpoint, but for those that are parents would you encourage your children that are young adults to be organ donors?  Have you discussed with your spouse about donating a child's organs if they died tragically?

Talking about death has always been taboo, even older clients I deal with don't always want to talk about basic things like having a will.  Or more important things like who would care for minor children if both parents died at once.

[Dave Gray]

I've always been an organ donor, but as others have said as I'm now in my 50's the parts aren't as good as they used to be.  Correlating to that Edge brings up a good point about minor children, and perhaps young adults.  I'm not a parent so I don't have any direct viewpoint, but for those that are parents would you encourage your children that are young adults to be organ donors?  Have you discussed with your spouse about donating a child's organs if they died tragically?

Talking about death has always been taboo, even older clients I deal with don't always want to talk about basic things like having a will.  Or more important things like who would care for minor children if both parents died at once.

I would 100% donate my kids organs.  I don't think I've spoken to my wife about this, but I'd be almost 100% sure that she would be in agreement.


However...

Death is weird.  Grief is weird.  It fucks people up.  So maybe at my kid's bedside I would be unable to ever let go and believe they were dead, prefer to wring my hands over an invalid connected to a machine to breathe.  I can't imagine.

So, in my clear-headed state, yes to organ donation.

[EDGECRUSHER]

I would 100% donate my kids organs.  I don't think I've spoken to my wife about this, but I'd be almost 100% sure that she would be in agreement.


However...

Death is weird.  Grief is weird.  It fucks people up.  So maybe at my kid's bedside I would be unable to ever let go and believe they were dead, prefer to wring my hands over an invalid connected to a machine to breathe.  I can't imagine.

So, in my clear-headed state, yes to organ donation.

Yes, this is what I feel too. You can't rationalize with a grieving parent and that's not a knock on them at all. We're humans, not robots.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Yes, this is what I feel too. You can't rationalize with a grieving parent and that's not a knock on them at all. We're humans, not robots.

Just for the record, my response was in no way an attempt to demonizing the parents.  But I think for many people, myself included, organ donation is an emotional decision.  The desire to save the life of someone I never met, is an emotional decision based on humanitarianism not one a Vulcan-style logic decision.