Epstein: Organ Sales Should be Legalized

Richard A. Epstein views potential legal organ sales as a way to end the huge organ waiting lists. He believes that our country should legalize organ sales so people can be given a second chance to live. Epstein explains how the government should take action due to the increasing organ waiting lists. He supports his argument of legalizing organ sales by explaining how we give praise to those donate organs, but then, “Why condemn sales?” He is basically saying that if sales were made legal, it would be almost the same idea of donating because the person still has to recover from surgery and take huge health risks. He also supports his argument through expressing it is better to have 100 people with one functioning kidney than 50 people with two kidneys and 50 people with kidney failure. That is such a concrete statement by almost stating the obvious that organ sales will simply save lives. Another way he supports his claim is organ donations are never a done deal. When someone dies, their family members can veto the donation card and then the organs will not be taken out for donation. Epstein is saying that there are plenty of organ donors, but there are sometimes family members who just can not handle the corpse being taken apart for organ donations. That is why he states an excellent point that the organ waiting lists are always increasing. He sees that as such a sad fact and the only way would be to legalize organ sales.

Epstein does give a few good points that maybe it is okay that organ sales are illegal. He allows for the concerns of the opposing side to be acknowledged. Epstein writes about the risks that come with live donors, such as they have to recover from surgery and risk their own life to give to another. The risks Epstein names off are alcoholism, hepatitis, and AIDS when it comes to organ donation, just like blood donation. Maybe the people who would sell organs would just be desperate, and that is basically saying the poor would be the ones who would donate the most. Epstein sees this as favoring the rich and not the poor; he does not want the poor to have to sell their own body just because that is all they have left, yet it would still benefit people who are dying. This explaining of dangerous risks does not outweigh the benefits.

Epstein’s argument of legal organ sales is quite persuasive in how he gives excellent examples of how society would benefit. The statement that was most persuasive was, “We need to get past our own squeamishness and give those who need it another chance to live.” Epstein believes that with the growing waiting lists for organs, something needs to happen. He wants the government to do something and that is why he points out so many more benefits than downfalls of legalizing organ sales. Epstein’s style with expressing benefits, while at the same time expressing risks, gives the reader a way to think for themselves. He wants society to believe organ sales will help so many people, which is why he supports his argument with just how it will help people who only want to live and get their life back.