As a part of my policy agenda for when I become benevolent monarch of the world, I offer this new legislation on organ donations:
You have two options for what happens to your body after you die:
(A) All organs and tissues capable of being transplanted are available for donation.
(B) You donate your body to a medical school or research institution. This wish should be in a will and reported to a national registry
No more organ donation cards. No more signing your drivers license. Once you’re dead, you don’t need those organs and tissues anymore. What about family wishes? Are they really going to feel better knowing that they not only lost a loved one, but also failed to help someone elses loved one? And later when they visit the grave site, I doubt they’ll be saying, “If only your kidneys were buried here too, I could stop grieving.”
I haven’t been able to find any current data, but it seems like 2/3 of people waiting for organs don’t get them. And that’s just pathetic.
Say what you will about Europe, but they’re ahead of the curve on this issue. Several countries have an opt-out system, where you must sign a document to avoid having your organs donated, as opposed to the opt-in system used in America.