Seriously, Why All the Fuss About Taking Executed Prisoners’ Organs?
Since China announced a new organ donation system this week, the amount of press coverage of the story has been overwhelming. The more sensational bits discuss the “scandal” that has been confirmed about China’s reliance on executed prisoners for transplant organs.
It might be the lack of sleep talking, but I just don’t understand why this is such a big deal. The big story is that people don’t donate their organs here, and there are tremendous shortages (hence the need for a new program).
But is the status quo worthy of the label “scandal?” We are talking about executed prisoners here, who usually don’t get state funerals with flowers and eulogies. As one blogger put it:
In most countries, people killed in the name of the state are quietly disposed of in the local equivalent of paupers’ graveyards, or they wind up as cadavers in medical schools.
China, however, has found a way to recycle used parts from executed prisoners.
So throwing the bodies in a hole in the ground or letting them be cut up by med students is OK, but harvesting organs destined to help sick folks is bad?
Look, I’m on the record as being against the death penalty, in any country, but once these guys are in fact dead, can’t the government at least put the slab of meat to good use?
I can’t see any flaw in this logic, but I would be happy to hear opposing views.
Organs have always been business and using organs would not have been a problem if it would not have been for commercial reasons. It suggests that not justice – even Chinese style justice – would be the basis of many capital punishments, but greed. Now, that possibility would be worth a debate.
The problem in the past has been that prisoners reportedly have been executed for their organs. If the quality of one’s organs is taken into consideration in sentencing, I think we have a problem. “This one has a good heart, and the director’s daughter need’s one” raises a passel of ethical issues. In a criminal system that is still mostly behind closed doors who’s minding the minders? No one, as far as I can tell.
If you mean people being executed who would otherwise not have been because they were a good source of “material,” then OK, I’m with you on that.
That would also require quite a conspiracy, including members of the judiciary. Do we have evidence of this, or is it obvious and I’m being obtuse?
We live in an modern age where we are fully aware that our organs do not carry any “soul” or will not render us incomplete in the afterlife.
I think there is no scandal here but a program that is necessary and gives the prisoner a chance (although not in life ) to contribute to society in a good way. Maybe a rosy assessment of the situation but i think this is one way to think of it.
Yes, this situation can also include black market sales and bribery, which we all know can happen. Maybe the real issue is the lack of transparency and how it is regulated?
Interesting. I wonder what people would say if there was a completely transparent program in China, and the law was changed to explicitly say that organs may be used by the State, from any prisoner who is executed, for transplant purposes.
I guess I could support this. Anyone else?
If there was a completely transparent program and the organs were used for transplant purposes, why not? Actually, it would be a great idea!
IT still might be controversial in some levels. If there is no family to claim them when the time has come, I think it could be a good alternative instead of leaving it to someone else to see a profit in it and sell it on the black market.