New at Reason

Kerry Howley explains how your doctor is allowed to get rich selling your body parts -- but not you.

Comments

AC | December 5, 2006, 2:51pm | #

The Moore case makes me angry every time I think about it. "If people can sell parts of their body, poor people will become slaves!" Nothing short of spectacular legal reasoning.

Robert | December 5, 2006, 3:03pm | #

So people don't have a default right to their body parts. However, they can still gain that right thru negotiation if they're conscious when specimens are to be taken.

Lowdog | December 5, 2006, 5:05pm | #

See, I figured that there was a way to get some NSF grant money to research my body and how I've managed to stay alive even though I've routinely abused my body in a number of different ways.

Anyway, this is just another symptom of our societies' willingness to sacrifice any autonomous control of our own lives.

Dan T. | December 5, 2006, 5:43pm | #

Anyway, this is just another symptom of our societies' willingness to sacrifice any autonomous control of our own lives.

Of course, if you're desperate enough for cash that you start selling body parts I'd submit that you've long since lost control of your life.

Lowdog | December 5, 2006, 6:12pm | #

Did you read the article, Dan?

Might wanna do that first.

McPimp | December 5, 2006, 6:23pm | #

With any luck, "an arm and a leg" will become convertible to dollars.

And don't get me started on liquidity jokes...

mark | December 5, 2006, 7:44pm | #

Dan- Someone on minimum wage could earn a year's income with a few hours' work having ova harvested. As for selling a nonessential organ like one of two functioning kidneys, that could replace several years of fulltime wage-slavery. To me this represents gaining control of one's life. The point of controlling one's own life isn't to make decisions that impress Dan T. - it is to make decisions that make sense to one's self. I wouldn't be selling anything but that's up to me. Although this friend of mine was flying back from Thailand after getting really drunk and he found this great big scar on the side of his belly....

Russ 2000 | December 6, 2006, 4:06pm | #

Dan T. - one of Hit 'n' Run's finest brain donors.

NoStar | December 7, 2006, 12:06pm | #

The symbol for a healer is suppose to be a staff with a single snake curling up it.
Many physicians and medical associations use as a symbol a staff with two snakes. This is not a symbol of healing, it is staff of Hermes, the God of Commerce.

I appreciate this rare example of truth in advertising.