Well, if you are not presently, and you live in New York, you may not have a choice.
New York State Assemblyman Richard Brodsky introduced a new bill in Albany that would enroll all New Yorkers as an organ donor, unless they actually opt out of organ donation. It would be the first law of its kind in the United States.
Richard Brodsky is currently running for New York Attorney General. He is a typical liberal Democrat who thinks that everything belongs to the government — apparently even your body.
So, if you are an organ donor, willing or not, what is to stop the gubermint from deciding, “Well, you have TWO kidneys, you don’t need them both…” So why wait for someone to die, we will just hustle them down to the chop shop hospital, and take out the extras. You wouldn’t deny a deserving person a chance at life would you? I wonder how it would be determined just WHO got the “donated” kidney?
Oh and better yet, it wouldn’t cost the state anything, I’m sure they would be happy to send you a bill, after all it probably wouldn’t be a covered expense under “Obamacare”.
A slippery slope…..
If we’re going to presume people are organ donors unless they opt out, there needs to be a reward for not opting out. Donated organs should be allocated first to those who haven’t opted out. People who opt out of organ donation should go to the back of the transplant waiting list. The United Network for Organ Sharing, which manages the national organ allocation system, has the power to make this simple policy change. No legislative action is required.
Americans who want to donate their organs to other registered organ donors don’t have to wait for UNOS to act. They can join LifeSharers, a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. Membership is free at http://www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. There is no age limit, parents can enroll their minor children, and no one is excluded due to any pre-existing medical condition.
According to a new survey by Donate Life America 43 percent of people are undecided, reluctant or do not wish to have their organs and tissue donated after their deaths. Is this because Americans don’t know there is an organ shortage? No. The survey also reports that 78 percent realize there are more people who need organ transplants in the U.S. than the number of donated organs available.
Just about every single one of the 43% of Americans who aren’t willing to register as organ donors would accept an organ transplant if they needed one to live. As long as we let non-donors jump to the front of the waiting list when they need transplants we’ll always have an organ shortage.
I agree with you that there needs to be a reward for not opting out. I don’t object to being an organ donor (I am one) I just object to the gubbermint deciding for me. As I have said before, they are not my mommy.