X-Message-Number: 1181 Newsgroups: sci.cryonics From: (Timothy Freeman) Subject: Re: Organ Transplants and Cryonics Message-ID: <> References: <> Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 15:34:05 GMT In article <> (kevin.q.brown) writes: Using the above example of the need for kidney donors, or whatever else provokes sympathy, a coalition of patients who need transplantable organs and their medical services (that perform the harvesting and transplants) may persuade the Texas legislature that many people will die needlessly due to lack of available organs unless some enabling legislation were to grant immunity from lawsuits for official organ harvesters. Once that is accomplished, it would be easy for the organ harvesters to "accidentally lose" the medic-alert bracelet and all identification (including the wallet card) for any cryonic suspension organization member who was terminally injured in a car accident. Good-bye cryonicist! Given that reviving a suspended person will require a body transplant, I think we need the transplanters to get as much practice as possible. Thus I think that selling the organs should be legal. Organ selling and immunity for organ harvesters are two separate issues. I believe that one big cause of the current shortage is that the relatives of the deceased have no motive to make a serious decision on the matter. If the organs could be sold, many more of the next of kin would permit the organs to be used. If there weren't a shortage, then there would be less motive to have laws giving immunity to the harvesters. By this reasoning, the current environment is the worst possible. The fact that the organs cannot be sold creates a shortage, which gives a strong motive to make the harvesters immune from lawsuits. -- Tim Freeman <> CompuServe ID 71045,2267 checked occasionally. When they took the fourth amendment, I was silent because I don't deal drugs. When they took the sixth amendment, I kept quiet because I know I'm innocent. When they took the second amendment, I said nothing because I don't own a gun. Now they've come for the first amendment, and I can't say anything at all. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=1181