Discussion
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Richard C. B. Johnsson

Dear Mr. Schoolland,

As Christian Butterbach told you, I have some questions to you regarding your 'Life and Death Taboo' article. I liked it very much and it is a topic too little discussed, indeed like it is taboo.

As for Sweden - I'm living in this strange place - relatives probably react against donation of the organs of a deceased exactly because the dead person has been signed up without actively agreeing. By making the donorship automatic, people are in many ways even less likely to discuss it. But what is to expect from a country where not so long ago, labor union membership immediately meant automatic membership in the social democratic party.

I was curious, though, about an immensely important thing related to this passage:

"I surveyed my students to find out how many would sign up as organ donors if they were offered a mere $25. The number rose from 12% to 60%. That's a five-fold increase for just $25 each. I don't think most of them cared one way or another what happened to their organs after they die. Body organs aren't much use then. When I asked how many would sign up for $10,000 the number rose from 60% to 68%--an increase, but not as dramatic."

Did you ask your students how many would sign up for free? One reason people don't sign up must surely be that they are busy with other things, even other good things. Put the form in front of them after having discussed the issue, I can imagine at least some would sign up. That would be very interesting and also a solution that would avoid stirring up the anti-market sentiments. I don't believe you addressed this explicitly, did you?

If a considerable number of people actually would sign up for free after a short introduction, wouldn't that be a very simple way to handle this? Is this naïve? It seems to me nobody, at least over here and to my knowledge, has tried this simple solution. People give away tons of money to charities - there are even large TV galas for that purpose - why wouldn't many people sign up if asked about this? It is, after all, the ultimate charity, giving life to others! Why not join hands on such an important issue and just do it, instead of trying to come up with the ultimate desk-top solution? Do you know of any such attempts?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this? Perhaps you actually did ask if any students would sign up for free, and nobody volunteered.

When I think of it, why don't I arrange such a gala!?

Regards,

Richard Johnsson

Ken Schoolland

Dear Richard,

This is an excellent point. I didn't ask my students this as you have put it, but I should. It would reveal a very good point. As you suspect, I guess that most have not signed up because they just never thought about it. Such a gala would do wonders! And could probably get some great publicity as well.

I'll approach it this way with my next classes in the fall and will let you know.

Interestingly, I just came out of a couple days at the hospital for a check up on some chest pains. They asked me if I was an organ donor and I said "yes." But when I looked on my chart it said I had replied "no." Do you suppose that was merely a mistake or somehow a routine?

Aloha,

Ken