In the medical field, there are constant changes and updates. Researchers are always finding new cures and procedures that can treat almost every person’s ailment. Especially in this field, people have the notion that the more innovations, the better off we are. Doctors and researchers continually find out more information about sickness and ways to prevent and cure it. We are on this upward slope of new medicine and procedures. This seems wonderful, but where does this slope lead to? Might it lead to an era where we can choose when we want to die? It seems like this era is fast approaching. If your heart stops beating, they can revive you. If an organ stops working, they can replace it. At this point it stops at organ donation, but what is next? Is organ donation truly a beneficial innovation or is it just the next step of progress? It seems a no-brainer that organ donation is nothing but beneficial and good. When given the chance to save a life or even multiple lives, most people would love to do so. However, many people turn it down when they are actually given the opportunity. Being an organ donor makes you a hero. To define a hero is to define a person who puts others before themselves and even saves lives. Donating an organ definitely qualifies both parts of the definition. If this seems so obvious, why do people choose not to be a hero? There is of course skepticism in the whole idea of “unnaturally” prolonging life. Some people believe that when it is your time to go, it is your time to go. These people do not think they should be given another chance of life by giving them a new, healthy organ. Usually people’s religion encourages people to think this way.
Religion plays a role in one’s opinion, especially concerning organ donation. People are hesitant because they do not know exactly when the soul leaves the body. It would not be right to cut into a body if the soul was still present. Secondly, as just mentioned, God has a set plan for everyone. If we preserve life longer than God has planned, it is almost as if the doctors are playing God. They can choose when someone’s life should end. Religion has a huge impact on individuals. People feel an obligation to participate in their worship and be a part of what the church believes. This is by no means a bad thing, it just means that when religion gets involved people have strong opinions. In most cases, what a church believes, its follows will also believe. Because of this, religion plays a large role in ethical debates.
The point is not however, to determine the ethical right and wrong of organ donation and choose a side. More importantly, we must understand the importance of the imposing sides themselves. Let’s say that organ donation is just the next step in this continual increase of medical advancements. What will ever stop them? If there is no one to raise awareness of its negative components, they will be able to continue their work. Soon this upward slope will not be about organ donation, it will be about bringing people back to life. We need opposition. When you were little and your little brother or sister pinched you, you would probably pinch them back or tell an adult. If you did not oppose them, they would continually pinch you and may even begin hitting you and then kicking you. Likewise, think about the business world. If there was a monopoly on every product, each company would be able to do exactly what they wanted. They could create a product as poorly as they wanted yet still charge a high price. After all, they have no competition, no opposing side to prevent outrageous behavior. Organ donation is no different. If anything, it is more important to have opposition in this field than any other. This topic concerns people’s lives. We cannot have a monopoly in the medical field (doctors who continually find new procedures and advancements). If no one would oppose or argue against the medical field, it would be chaos. Without opposition people are free to do whatever they please. When this is concerning lives, we do not want doctors to do whatever they want. Religious views and opposition play a vital role in the advancements of the medical field.
Sometimes we do not realize that there is another side to the story. However, when there is disagreement, you may hear a point that you otherwise wouldn’t have thought of. Disagreement should not lead to anger or fighting, it should lead to understanding. I just recently heard a persuasive speech about organ donation. The gentlemen wanted us to become a donor and told us all kinds of statistics and testimony to make us believe organ donation is a positive thing. And it is, organ donation is a good thing, isn’t it? After hearing the speech I would say yes. There is absolutely nothing wrong in giving your organs away when your body can no longer use them to a body that could truly benefit from a new organ. I didn’t see this topic to be controversial at all. I found out I was very wrong after bringing the topic up in one of my classes. I was just saying how neat the idea is that you can give organs away and save multiple lives. Your death could result in life of four people. That is amazing. You can even give someone eyes to see! I was surprised to hear people tell me that they do not believe in organ donation. What? You do not think it is right to save lives when given the opportunity? I was shocked that someone wouldn’t want to be a hero to a dying individual. People brought up issues such as determining when the soul leaves the body and how you define being dead. As someone who was first only informed about the positives of organ donation, these issues did not even enter my mind. Having opposition and disagreement allows you to see points you otherwise may not have noticed. Disagreement can be a good thing. If you know both sides of the argument you can have a better understanding of the topic itself. In this sense, disagreement is helpful. It enables people to become more aware of the situations around them. However, disagreement can go too far.
What often starts out as a small conflict can often turn into two sides yelling at one another, not listening what the other has to say. This exemplifies an unhealthy disagreement leading to hurt feelings and anger. Most people go into an argument already knowing what side they stand. This is fine, however, that does not mean you cannot be open to another’s ideas. If you could discuss your opinion and, more importantly, give reasons for this opinion, it would lead to a nice discussion of the given topic. A discussion can become educational and informative if you listen. People who have their opinion set in stone sometimes do not bother to listen to the opposing side. After all, they made their decision and will not budge. People like this do not learn anything from a disagreement. They miss the opportunity to understand the topic better, to understand how to see things from someone else’s point of view, and to understand a point they may not have thought of.
When closed-minded people argue for the sake of proclaiming their opinion, disagreements will go nowhere. If people are yelling at each other and not even listening, they will not come to any common ground or understanding. The point of arguing is to work out a disagreement. That is, each party expresses their thoughts and opinions looking for commonality between them. Great things can be accomplished when people compromise. Our country would not exist today if there was no compromise. Not everyone is going to agree on everything, that is life. However, our government would fail if no one would listen to each other and all they did was yell at each other. No laws would get passed and there would be no peace in our country.
How can we find reconciliation in disagreements such as organ donation? It takes effort from both sides to find common ground. It is up to the parties whether they discuss and find agreement or if they fight and just get angry. Organ donation is a sensitive topic and it is hard to choose sides when you are not in the situation. I would like to ask people who do not believe in organ donation what they would do in a given situation. Let’s say your mom, who is still young and full of life is in a horrible car accident and is told she will only survive if given a transplant. I cannot imagine anyone saying, “Sorry mom, I do not believe in organ donation, we cannot give you the opportunity to survive.” It is easy to have set beliefs when you are not personally involved. Think to yourself what you would do if you were in a situation involving organ donation, are you sure you are 100% against it? More than likely, people who are against it are not totally against it. Anything less than 100% leaves room for compromise. When two people sitting on opposite sides of the argument listen to one another, they may see that they are both not completely correct. They can then find the point at which they can meet and come to a common consensus.
Organ donation has been a common occurrence with the modern technology we have today. This large number of donors and recipients may seem as if the country has come to a consensus that organ donation is beneficial and good. However, there are many people that do not agree. It may be too late now for any type of compromise. Organ donation is already touching the lives of thousands of people and hospitals have incorporated it into their medical care. It would not be easy to take the donation system away at this point. However, there can be decisions made by both sides to regulate it in a way that pleases both parties. It is hard to answer questions that are not yes or no answers. When dealing with such a deep debate it is hard to come up with an exact consensus. It will take a lot of time, effort, and corporation for this topic to be settled amongst those that believe and those that do not. At the end of the day, it is not about who is right or wrong. It is about recognizing the importance of disagreement. Discussing a disagreement is a healthy way of learning about a topic that you are only half-educated on. Without discussing the topic of organ donation with friends, I would never have guessed organ donation was controversial topic. We can learn something every day, but only if we listen to what others have to say.
