Because people who don’t want to be organ donors somehow don’t “deserve” to have their lives saved or returned to normal?

So now charity is redined as “I’ll give to you if you promise to give to someone else”?

That’s not charity; it’s a life-and-death chain letter.

If the person needing an organ is too old or for some other reason doesn’t have useful organs for others, does that mean they don’t get any replacements because they’re no longer “worthy,” regardless of their initial pledge?

Slippery, meet slope.

Wow.

Presumed consent can only be implemented in the United States through legislative action — Congress would have to pass a law. The chances of this happening in the foreseeable future are somewhere between very slim and none, because there is wide-spread opposition to the idea of presumed consent.

Fortunately, there is an already-legal way to put a big dent in the organ shortage — allocate donated organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die. The United Network for Organ Sharing, which manages the national transplant waiting list in the United States, has the power to make this common-sense policy change. No Congressional action is required.

In the absence of action by UNOS, anyone who wants to donate their organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers. LifeSharers is a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. Membership is free at http://www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. There is no age limit, parents can enroll their minor children, and no one is excluded due to any pre-existing medical condition.

Giving your organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. People who aren’t willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs.