To be clear from the off, I carry a donor card and I think more people should donate organs. However, I think it is entirely wrong to go for an opt out policy. It is incredibly emotive. My medical side means I am personally not too bothered, after all I am going to go for cremation so please make use of any spare parts that I have not worn out (although I feel as though there may not be many of those). But many people feel very strongly about this, some because of religious reasons, some for no more than it makes them feel queasy. Whatever the reason, this is about respect. We have been given our bodies, it is up to us to decide what to do with them. The state has no right to assume ownership after our death.
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But surely the people who feel very strongly about it will opt out? The others, who have never thought about it, or never quite got round to doing anything about it, or moved house so often they're not on the donor register, or assumed their partner would feel the same way about it can all be chopped up and sewn into other people after death.
Actually, I think that last one might be a large part of the problem. For me, I'm more than happy to be donated to people (apart from my eyes - I'm not quite so sure about them). But if Matt had just died, I don't know that I'd be so happy about him being cut open and having parts taken from him. I'm told it is done so well you can't really tell. But, even as someone very pro-donation, I don't know how I'd feel about it.
You slightly undermine your argument by worrying about your eyes! But in reality, so if I haven't really thought about it fully then your are entitled to rip me open? What if my opt-out card g lost. Surely we aren't going to rely on a national computer data bank to say we have opted out are we? Because data banks are so reliable. No, the default has to be that you don't take unless given permission, because that way if a mistake is made, ie you don't take when you could have, then at least my belief isn't disrespected, my body isn't violated.
Not undermining my argument, just demonstrating that it is an emotive subject even for someone as rational (cough) as me...
I'm not wanting to disrespect your beliefs, but what about the respect for the value of life? I've watched enough ER to know that lots of people die or suffer just because of a lack of donor organs.
I think there should be more education about organ donation at school - there is still a lot of misinformation about. You can get a little 'donor' symbol on your boots advantage card so perhaps they could look at doing something like that more widely - on bank cards etc - whether for op-in or opt-out.
You aren't disrespecting my views, right at the beginning I said I carry a donor card, I want people to use whatever bits of me they can find a use of. It was a rhetorical "me" I was using (hmm, rhetorical isn't right, theoretical, no still not right, it will come to me). There is a value in life, but we may overdo that a bit at times, which sounds odd but we can't all live forever.
I was using a rhetorical* 'you' as well. Just not doing ti very well.
*or whatever...
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