Organ Sales Will Save Lives By Suzanne Mckay Summary

The legalization of organ sales in the United States would mean disaster for the lives of thousands of people. In Joanna McKay's article, “Organ Sales Will Save Lives.” she proposes that organ sales will save the lives of the thousands of people that are suffering from end-stage renal disease. However, how she plans to obtain the organs (kidneys, specifically) would cause more harm than good. In her article, she proposes that the legalization of organ sales would open economic opportunities for people who need financial help and are willing to give up a kidney. This seems favorable for both parties, but there are implications that would leave someone at a disadvantage. As her article continues, she paints a picture of how we are responsible

"While there may seem to be a shortage of kidneys, in reality there is a surplus. In third world countries, there are people in such extreme poverty these people barely have enough to eat, living in shacks and sleeping on dirt floors. Eager to pay off debts, they line up at hospitals, willing to sell a kidney for about $1,000". McKay, Joanna. “Organ Sales Will Save Lives.” The Norton Field Guild to Writing with Readings, edited by Richard Bullock and Maureen Daly Goggin, 4th ed., W.W. Norton & Company, 2016, pp 156-161. Joanna suggests that we would be doing these people a service by allowing them to sell their kidneys. However, before she goes into detail on how willing people are to sell their kidneys, she comments on their living situation. People who live in a third world country are not known for being very healthy. Especially the people who do not have enough to eat and sleep on dirt floors (McKay 158). The argument then arises, if these people are living in these conditions, who's to say they are even candidates for this surgery? Who will be responsible for making sure they heal properly? We simply do not have any way to properly vet these potential organ