jhg7877

That's not what the debate is. It's about the dark pattern of opt-out in which other people make the choice for you and being forced to opt out of it. Many people, myself included, are for organ donation but oppose opt-out as unethical and dangerous.

It's a classic dark pattern. I think many of the people supporting opt-out know that people would say no if confronted with the question so they support what I would call an an underhand and sinister approach. See the OP's response below "I would fear that for many people being confronted with this choice when you are renewing your driver's licence means defaulting for the 'safe' option of non-donor."

"From a society's perspective opt-out makes perfect sense." It's very troubling to follow that line of thought. It's also arguably in societies interest to make all your private medical data publicly available for research and all your private communications, purchases and movements available to any government agency to prevent crime etc. How many people would be comfortable with what are considered by many to be fundamental rights being opt-in all of a sudden?

"The state isn't invading your corporeal sovereignty". It is, in the most fundamental and intimate way possible. If you support opt-out at least be honest about what it is. I carry an organ donation card but this is a line I think should not be crossed. There are alternative which don't make your body ownership opt-in (like doctors guidelines about approaching families etc).

I suggest you do some research about the organ retention scandals in the UK and Ireland and how it affected grieving families. It's horrifying and would make any rational person seriosuly question opt-out organ donation given the unethical behaviour of hospitals for decades.

"According to Colgan, babies' bodies were filled with sand, so they would be the correct weight when loved ones held them for the last time. Pituitary glands of thousands of children (and some adults) were sold to pharmaceutical companies unbeknownst to their families."[1]

[1] http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/the-scandal-of...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alder_Hey_organs_scandal

I carry an organ donation card and have taken part in organ donation signup drives. I find this appalling as well. It's equivalent to the government giving itself ownership of your body. How can't it change the relationship between patients and doctors? It's insane. People have also quickly forgotten the organ theft scandals of the last 40 years where hospitals stole organs from bodies for research and profit.