I renewed my driver's license yesterday. I've always said no to the "Do you want to be an organ donor" question. Well, yesterday I said yes. What the heck..I'm not taking any of my pieces parts with me. Being an organ donor seems to be much more in synch now with my core being in that I may be able to save a life or at least enrich it. I'll admit, I really didn't give it much though before becoming veg*n, but now I really am proud of the fact that I could save someone. Wow, I'm 35 and yet I'm excited that at this stage that I'm still evolving. Life is ever changing on many levels, isn't it?

I'm curious. How may of you are organ donors? Why or why not? Did you decide to be an organ donor after becoming veg*n like I did or have you always been? Do you know someone who has receive an organ donation?

I do know some one with a donated heart. Received it when he was 4 years old.

I always have been bc my family has always felt strongly about it.

It's important to talk to your family about it, bc if you die, your next of kin can override your decision to donate. If you don't trust your family, create a living will and name someone you trust as a health care decision proxy.

Wow, I didn't know that Thalia. Thank you. I would hope my family wouldn't go against my wishes but you never know....

I've been an organ donor for, umm, let's just say a long time :)

What made me consider it was watching this boy on the news, about my age at the time (16 or 17) who was in need of a lung transplant, but the chances would be that he would die waiting. I remember how he dealt with it and had accepted his probable fate. I've been a donor ever since.

I've been considering it for a few years, but still am not sure.

There's still a part of me that objects to have parts of me taken away when I die for religious & sprititual reasons. Which I know is ridiculous. But that feeling is still there.

why can't I vote: No, but I was before I became vegan ?

I have been an organ donor, ever since I first got my Drivers' Liscence.

I was watching some documentry recently about how if that moment were ever to come, when a person is in the situation where they can donate (I think you need to be on life support prior to your passing or something like this) the family/ next of kin of the indivdual can actually have the last say, and over ride the wishes of the indivdual who has passed, if they so wish. This is why I feel that it is really important for organ donors to discuss with their families their intentions and feelings about donating organs.

There is also a further registration that Australian organ donors can fill out (this is apart from the liscence application.) This registration serves as further information about an indivduals wishes that can be given to and discussed with the indivduals family, if the situation arises that donating is possible.

http://www.hic.gov.au/yourhealth/our_services/aaodr.htm#role

I agree with you ms. Ruthie....I'm not gonna need my parts and would love for someone else be able to be helped out by them. I also (and this might sound weird to be thinking about at a young age--but you never know what's gonna happen) have been decided that I want to be cremated(did I spell that correctly?) when I pass on....I don't think the world needs my bones taking up more space....

I have been an organ donor since the day I was born. I think it is the best thing for me to do, because I will have no use for them once I am gone.

I too am going to be cremated

i dont want to take the chance of saving an omnis life, so im not an organ donor.

I've had that sticker on my drivers license since the day I got it.

I've always felt strongly about donating organs. If you are dead, what good are they going to do you anyways? Only good can come out of donating organs in my opnion. I always think that if I'm going to die, at least something good can come out of it. Think of all those people who would die if people did not donate. You never know, it could be your mom, husband, or you who might need an organ in the future.

I certaintly do not look down upon people who do not want to donate. But, thats how I look at it.

I've been an organ donor, along with the rest of my family, for as long as I can remember. To save someone's life or to give another person sight is something I'd like to do.

Originally posted by majake
i dont want to take the chance of saving an omnis life, so im not an organ donor.

I see majake one of the same reasons as me (on another board I once stated all my reasons and things got ugly).

Maybe I'd donate if the recipient(s) could be screened to ensure it wasn't anything of their doing (like bad diet, smoking) that caused them to require a new part. Especially smoking..... I don't know that I want a smoker to get a second chance and keep going with such a bad habit. Not that my lungs would be clear of (second hand) smoke.

Originally posted by Kurmudgeon
I see majake one of the same reasons as me (on another board I once stated all my reasons and things got ugly).

I don't see how things could get any more ugly than what majake has already said.

Maybe I'd donate if the recipient(s) could be screened to ensure it wasn't anything of their doing (like bad diet, smoking) that caused them to require a new part. Especially smoking..... I don't know that I want a smoker to get a second chance and keep going with such a bad habit. Not that my lungs would be clear of (second hand) smoke.

This argument just does not wash with me. Perhaps it is because my m-i-l just got a new chance with repacement heart valves. Do I think that she partially complicated her problem due to years of smoking? Yes. But that goes a long way from saying that anyone deserves to die because of their lifestyle choices.

have u seen the sticker:
Don't take your organs to heaven
because heaven knows we need them here

Originally posted by kirkjobsluder
But that goes a long way from saying that anyone deserves to die because of their lifestyle choices.

I'm not talking about deserving, but about dealing with the consequences of one's actions.

Originally posted by Kurmudgeon
I'm not talking about deserving, but about dealing with the consequences of one's actions.

I don't see much of a difference in the way you are phrasing it because you can justify all kinds of aid on the grounds that the ailing person should "deal with the consequences." Do you refuse to call an ambulance if you see an accident? After all, accidents are a consequence of many activities in daily life from walking on the sidewalk, to changing light bulbs.

Perhaps its because having personal experience with what heart disease and cancer do to people, it is not a fate that I would wish on my worst enemy. I spent the first 10 years of my life watching my grandfather die of cancer and heart disease. I spent a large chunk of my adulthood watching my grandmother die of heart disease. So I don't begrudge the availability of transplants or open-heart surgery to anyone.

I've been there myself. Those facing radical medical treatment don't need armchair moralists preaching about consequences. They are quite capable of evaluating the decisions that got them there in the first place.

Originally posted by kirkjobsluder
Those facing radical medical treatment don't need armchair moralists preaching about consequences. They are quite capable of evaluating the decisions that got them there in the first place. I agree, I also believe that moralizing and judgment has no place in medicine, nor in "donation".

I can get much uglier than that if i want, trust me.

But let start with kirks theory of actions whose consequences are ACCIDENTS, ok uhmm first we have to note that it is an ACCIDENT, which is in no way related to purposely doing something to harm oneself and suffering the consequences. This right here pretty much nulls any further discussion on the issue as one cannot keep accidents from happening but can only take precautionary measures to try and keep them from happening. Unlike someone whom is PURPOSELY doing something that they know may result in something bad happening to them, but this is someone elses arguement not mine.

Lets go to mine.

Save an omni.
Omnis are the biggest killers of animals, they purposely kill animals, they know this, you know this. How many animals are killed every year by omnis? 10 billion? Ok so i dont know the exact figure for how many animals per omni but im sure its pretty high. Now not donating your organs, while not ensuring the omni will die, relieves you from the notion that you will contribute to the further slaughter and mistreatment of animals that many veg*ns are trying to save every year by being veg*n. it is your duty as a veg*n to ensure that no one uses your body to propagate further deaths and suffering of animals.

But lets look at things a different way, im guessing most veg*ns want to stay that way till they die, am i right? of course, but what happens after they die, obviously there was no need to think about this before but now we have a good opportunity to think about it, so lets do. If your organs are harvested and go into the body of an omni you will cease to be veg*n as your organs will be obtaining energies from animals sources.


now im not saying eating animals is wrong, though i will say i think manufacturing and using them are, but im not going to hold that against anyone, i just dont believe as a vegan that i should be contributing to such behaviour either during my life or after i die. If i donate my organs and they go into an omnis body i will be contributing to the futher mistreatment of animals by humans or atleast one human.

Interesting POV, majake
However, the tranplant alone will involve the death of animals, in one way or another, so from the getgo you'd be contributing, whether being received by an omni or not.
Secondly, by your reasoning, then, it would be ok to donate your organs to say a serial killer, child molestor, or rapist, as long as they were veg*n:confused:
Who could, conceivably use your organ, to kill or harm again, but then of course, it may only be a human life.

I think most everyone else repsonses were very charitable and
kind spirited. I have always been intrigued with the idea of someone , blind, receiving my eyes:D

Originally posted by majake
I can get much uglier than that if i want, trust me.

Much too late.

But let start with kirks theory of actions whose consequences are ACCIDENTS, ok uhmm first we have to note that it is an ACCIDENT, which is in no way related to purposely doing something to harm oneself and suffering the consequences. This right here pretty much nulls any further discussion on the issue as one cannot keep accidents from happening but can only take precautionary measures to try and keep them from happening. Unlike someone whom is PURPOSELY doing something that they know may result in something bad happening to them, but this is someone elses arguement not mine.

Ahh, come on here. Every time I leave the house I am purposely doing something that may result in something bad happening to me. As a pedestrian, I am at a higher of fatality or injury per mile and per minute than any other form of transportation. I know this quite well and choose to be a pedestrian anyway because I believe that the positive consequences outweigh the negative ones. So by your argument, should I not receive medical care if I should become involved in an accident as a pedestrian?

But lets be even more dramatic. A few times in my life, I've had to talk down suicidal people. I've had to physically restrain a cutter at least once. Does the fact that these people were engaging in acts of self-destruction mean that I should have sat on the sidelines and just let them deal with the consequences on their own? I certainly did not approve of the things they did to precipitate their own crisis, but that does not absolve my obligation to help.

Save an omni.
Omnis are the biggest killers of animals, they purposely kill animals, they know this, you know this. How many animals are killed every year by omnis? 10 billion? Ok so i dont know the exact figure for how many animals per omni but im sure its pretty high. Now not donating your organs, while not ensuring the omni will die, relieves you from the notion that you will contribute to the further slaughter and mistreatment of animals that many veg*ns are trying to save every year by being veg*n. it is your duty as a veg*n to ensure that no one uses your body to propagate further deaths and suffering of animals.

But here is where in your ugliness you miss the entire point. I am a veg*n not to save animals, but because of the realization that violence is categorically wrong. I am a veg*n because I do not suffer from the kinds of moral flexibility that permit me to suffer from the fallacy that some lives are more valuable than others, from the conceit that such rationalizations for evil is a good thing.

You are basically making the same mistake as supporters of war. The mistake that it is justified to kill thousands of them to avenge or save thousands of us. A mistake that a wise Buddhist teacher pointed out to me as "killing the fish to feed the dog." Such moral calculus should be advanced with extreme caution.

But lets look at things a different way, im guessing most veg*ns want to stay that way till they die, am i right? of course, but what happens after they die, obviously there was no need to think about this before but now we have a good opportunity to think about it, so lets do. If your organs are harvested and go into the body of an omni you will cease to be veg*n as your organs will be obtaining energies from animals sources.

Well think of this another way. I want a natural burial. Either way, my flesh will be incorporated into the bodies of creatures that are not vegetarian. In this regard I don't see a difference between organ donation and being eaten by a scavenger.

This doesn't bother me because I'll be dead. If my death helps something else to live, what they do next is no longer my concern. My responsibility to the universe ends when I no longer exist.

now im not saying eating animals is wrong, though i will say i think manufacturing and using them are, but im not going to hold that against anyone, i just dont believe as a vegan that i should be contributing to such behaviour either during my life or after i die. If i donate my organs and they go into an omnis body i will be contributing to the futher mistreatment of animals by humans or atleast one human.

Here is why I disagree with you. The reason why I'm veg*n was because of a gut-level realization that if I find it apalling when governments kill in my name, it is also appalling when slaugherhouses kill in my name, in both cases it becomes something like a murder for hire.Refusing to donate my organs, with the full knowledge that my refusal means that multiple people will die horrible deaths, is manslaughter. So the question here is if it is justifiable to kill the fish to feed the dog? Is it justfiable to commit manslaughter if the person you kill does not agree with your politics? Is knowingly condemning people to suffering and death by refusing to donate organs really that different from buying a hamburger? At least with the hamburger you've only ordered the death of one.

I'm a donor. I figure they'll be able to use anything except my liver. I've kind of messed that up. :D

I see where you are coming from majake, but giving them a chance to live again, also might make them look into a heathier lifestyle, such as a meat-less one. To the best of my knowledge, some of the people that get the organs liket o meet the family of the donor. I know that my family would tell them that I was vegan and always looking for ways to improve the world around me. That might get them thinking, "Well hey, I got a new chance at life. Maybe I should make it healthier."

I agree that some people will just continue their destructive patterns, but it is a chance I am willing to take.

Majake and Kurmudgeon - reminds me of that MASH episode where the bigoted white sargeant gets the "wrong" colored blood in a transfusion.

It's always easier not to give than not to take. Wouldn't the more telling question be - would you accept an organ (or blood?) from someone you're prejudiced against?

Great episode! I like the part where Hawkeye and BJ "color" the guy's skin. :D