Killer's quest: Allow organ donation after execution

[kwelch10377]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42667886/ns/health-health_care/

From the medical perspective I understand the issue, namely making sure the organs are healthy, but if the organs are healthy I see no reason why they can't be donated.

From an ethical standpoint why is it important that the person was excuted? I'm sure the person getting the organ could careless. It's not like the prisioners are being killed for the organs and they would be made to do this after execution. Maybe I am missing something??

I'm not sure whether or not I believe his reasoning for wanting to do this, but if he is willing to donate, they I think he should be able to.

 

[elgerber]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42667886/ns/health-health_care/

From the medical perspective I understand the issue, namely making sure the organs are healthy, but if the organs are healthy I see no reason why they can't be donated.

From an ethical standpoint why is it important that the person was excuted? I'm sure the person getting the organ could careless. It's not like the prisioners are being killed for the organs and they would be made to do this after execution. Maybe I am missing something??

I'm not sure whether or not I believe his reasoning for wanting to do this, but if he is willing to donate, they I think he should be able to.

I agree, I'm not really sure what him being a killer would have to do with being able to save so many lives.

 

[FredinFL]

I don't like it. Why would a convicted killer all of a sudden think to donate his/her organs? Don't trust it. I think it's creepy.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

It wouldn't bother me as long as the organs are healthy; I would see it as the person finally doing something good with their life.

However, there are people who receive donated organs who want to know everything about the person who gave them back their life and they may be shocked and disturbed to find out their organ is from a killer. There are enough things that can go wrong with an organ transplant the doctors probably don't want the patient getting depressed over the fact part of their body is now a "killer."

Even if the patient were to agree to it from the beginning, their emotions may go haywire after they are no longer in a life or death situation and can think about it more clearly.

 

[dngnb8]

Its not that easy. Organ donation requires an incredible amount of tests PRIOR to being accepted. I tried to donate an organ to my wife and was turned down because one of my kidneys had stones.

Also, unless the form of execution is trauma (hanging, shot etc) the organs will be damaged. Electrocution and the Cocktail both make the organs unusable.

My wife got he kidney and pancreas from a boy who died of head injuries.

 

[LuvOrlando]

If he is being executed I'll go out on a limb and assume this is an markedly twisted individual. I could see someone like this possibly purposefully contracting AIDS or Hepatitis ect prior to execution just to get his number up and cause more damage to a world he hates. I don't think it would be responsible to allow him to donate, he could be preying on those who are most vulnerable.

People always assume the best in people, I don't think that is always wise.

 

[kwelch10377]

Its not that easy. Organ donation requires an incredible amount of tests PRIOR to being accepted. I tried to donate an organ to my wife and was turned down because one of my kidneys had stones.

Also, unless the form of execution is trauma (hanging, shot etc) the organs will be damaged. Electrocution and the Cocktail both make the organs unusable.

My wife got he kidney and pancreas from a boy who died of head injuries.

That is the part I understand why not, but it doesn't seem as though that is the primary reason for not doing it. The medical reasons for not doing it are only a small part of the article.

I agree about there needing to be full disclosure about them being a killer to the people getting the organs.

 

[laurie31]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42667886/ns/health-health_care/

From the medical perspective I understand the issue, namely making sure the organs are healthy, but if the organs are healthy I see no reason why they can't be donated.

From an ethical standpoint why is it important that the person was excuted? I'm sure the person getting the organ could careless. It's not like the prisioners are being killed for the organs and they would be made to do this after execution. Maybe I am missing something??

I'm not sure whether or not I believe his reasoning for wanting to do this, but if he is willing to donate, they I think he should be able to.

I think there is an ethical component - what if the judge had the option to choose between death or life imprisonment and was swayed to impose the death sentence by the idea of the inmate being able to donate organs? It could open a Pandora's box of people being killed for their organs.

However, the bigger (much bigger) issue, is that to donate organs, a person must be brain-dead but have a beating heart. If the heart isn't beating, the organs aren't getting oxygen and are unusable. Prisoners aren't executed by clubbing them in the head; they are given drugs to stop the heart. Brain death won't occur until the heart has been stopped for 4-6 minutes, by which time all the other organs would be unsuitable for transplant. By the time the patient can be pronounced dead, the organs will be ruined.

On the one hand, there are so many waiting it seems a shame to "waste" the organs, but I don't see how you could manage to execute someone in a way that would leave their organs viable.

 

[Mkrop]

I dont see how it could work with they way they are being killed...but if they are willing to donate a kidney or something that can be donated while alive, they had all the necessary testing, and the reciepient knows full well who it can from.

 

[tlbwriter]

I think there is an ethical component - what if the judge had the option to choose between death or life imprisonment and was swayed to impose the death sentence by the idea of the inmate being able to donate organs? It could open a Pandora's box of people being killed for their organs.

This. People are afraid that a judge or jury might lean toward the death penalty knowing that by taking a killer's life they could save an innocent person.

However, the bigger (much bigger) issue, is that to donate organs, a person must be brain-dead but have a beating heart. If the heart isn't beating, the organs aren't getting oxygen and are unusable. Prisoners aren't executed by clubbing them in the head; they are given drugs to stop the heart. Brain death won't occur until the heart has been stopped for 4-6 minutes, by which time all the other organs would be unsuitable for transplant. By the time the patient can be pronounced dead, the organs will be ruined.

On the one hand, there are so many waiting it seems a shame to "waste" the organs, but I don't see how you could manage to execute someone in a way that would leave their organs viable.

It would work if you removed the organs before killing the person. Or if "death by surgical removal of the heart" was made a legal method of execution. Don't see either of those happening in the near future.

 

[Pumpkingirl7]

My mother had a liver transplant ...sadly she passed away 6 weeks later..but not from her new liver. We would have taken any liver we could get as long as it saved her life. That new liver gave her so much hope!

 

[bumbershoot]

The use of organs from executed prisoners is censured by the United Network for Organ Sharing, which guides organ donation policies in the United States. The group denounced the practice in 2007 and hasn’t budged on the matter

I think I agree with them.


My good friend who had a liver transplant...she might not have (thought she) cared where the liver came from beforehand, but she has experienced weird and significant changes in her life since getting a liver... They have a program where she sends a letter of thanks, and the family of the donor sent a letter, and even before she got the letter she'd started to have things like food cravings that were talked about in that letter from the family.

She's experienced this now...I'm not sure she, knowing what she knows now from the experience, would actually want a murderer's liver...


And...it sounds like Longo is suicidal. As many questions and concerns that I might have about the death penalty, I do believe it's supposed to be a *punishment*, and for him to be agreeing to move up the date by dropping appeals...sounds like it wouldn't be a punishment for him.

 

[okeydokey]

Maybe he feels it is his last chance to actually something good with his life. I don't see ulterior motive in this. I think they should let him do it.

 

[Hannathy]

I think they should take every single thing they can!! consider it payment for his keep for all the years they have been in prison.

As far as how to do it send them into surgery and once everything is gone so are they.

If I needed an organ to live I wouldn't care where it cam from! They can always tell the person and if they don't want it move down the list I'm sure they won't have to go far to find a taker. especially for some of the harder organs to find.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Am I the only one who thinks clubbing them on the head would be a good solution?

(assuming DNA evidence, blah, blah, blah.)

 

[The Mayor]

If he is being executed I'll go out on a limb and assume this is an markedly twisted individual. I could see someone like this possibly purposefully contracting AIDS or Hepatitis ect prior to execution just to get his number up and cause more damage to a world he hates. I don't think it would be responsible to allow him to donate, he could be preying on those who are most vulnerable.

People always assume the best in people, I don't think that is always wise.

Don't you think they would test for these prior to transplanting in organ

 

[The Mayor]

Why bury perfectly good organs when someone dying is in need of them. If it's a matter of who is donating them they can pose this to the potential recipient. I'm sure 99.9% of them would choose to live and accept the organ(s). I know I would!!!

 

[PaulaSB12]

Considering that they have started experiments to grow organs using stem cells this could become redundant.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/h...sts-create-human-kidneys-from-stem-cells.html

As for this idea of harvesting a criminal until he/she dies do you really want to go down that road?

 

[Hannathy]

As for this idea of harvesting a criminal until he/she dies do you really want to go down that road?

Sure do! If they are being executed why not take the organs. Does it really matter how they are killed as long as it is as humanely as possible?
Going to sleep for surgery is about as humane as you can get considering millions do it daily.

I consider it extremely wasteful to throw away for no good reason something that could save potentially a child's life or a child's Mother's life or anyones life.

 

[cirquelovers]

I don't think they can use the organs after lethal injection, as i believe that is the only way they kill them in Oregon. I suppose if the person getting the donation knows where it came from and was fine with it then their choice. I don't agree with him trying to wrangle the system to get his way though.

Personally I would like him to die the way his children did. I can actually think of worse things to do to him. I do not feel sorry for the sick *******! He was nothing but a pompous a$$ during the trial.