Organ Donation

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Today we are in great need of a solution to solve the problem of the shortage of human organs available for transplant. The website for Donate Life America estimates that in the United States over 100 people per day are added to the current list of over 100,000 men, women, and children that are waiting for life-saving transplants. Sadly enough, approximately 18 people a day on that list die just because they cannot outlive the wait for the organ that they so desperately need to survive. James Burdick, director of the Division of Transplantation for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services confirms, “The need for organ transplants continues to grow and this demand continues to outpace the supply of transplantable organs”. The shortage of organs globally has created a black market which profits from the needs of desperate people who either need to buy an organ in order to live longer or need to sell an organ in order to survive. This illegal industry at one time was thought to have been an urban legend; however, in October The New York Times ran a shocking story about organ trafficking in the United States. A New Jersey businessman was arrested for trying to sell a kidney. He was participating as a middleman between the recipient and the living donor and the cost for this service was $160,000 (Tao A26). Unfortunately, not enough people become organ donors prior to their death, which causes many people to think that the way to solve our current shortage is to buy and sell organs for transplant. Buying and selling organs is morally, ethically, and legally wrong and it is not a solution to the organ shortage because it violates human rights by taking advantage of desperate people who believe there are no other option... ... middle of paper ... ...e.net>. "State Tax Deductions and Donor Leave Laws." UNOS. 11 Dec 2007. United Network for Organ Sharing, Web. 30 Oct. 2009. . Tao, Dominick. "Worldwide Market Fuels Illegal Traffic in Organs." New York Times, The. 30 May 2009, natl. ed: A26. Print. Taylor, Duffie. "Organ Donor Remembrance Ceremony: A Celebration of Life: The Families of Organ Donors Connect with Those Whose Lives have been Saved Through by Transplants." Roanoke Times, The (VA). 20 Apr. 2009. n.pag. Newspaper Source Plus, Web. 20 Oct. 2009. Trapp, Robert. Debatabase Book: A Must-Have Guide for Successful Debate. 3rd ed. New York: International Debate Education Association, 2007. Netlibrary, Web. 22 Oct. 2009. Worsnip, Patrick. "Report Calls for Global U.N. Pact to Ban Organ Sales." Reuters.com. 13 Oct. 2009. Thomson Reuters, Web. 09 Nov. 2009. .

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