April 30, 2006

TRAGIC ABOUT ANNE FRANK...BUT, ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, I GOT A NEW LIVER OUT OF THE DEAL!

American vampire (Debra J. Saunders, April 25, 2006, SF Chronicle)

TWO YEARS ago, the New York Times ran a story about a 48-year-old Brooklyn woman who, facing death after years of dialysis treatments and failing health, received a kidney from a Brazilian peasant who was paid $6,000 for the organ. The chilling story bared the human misery that surrounds the black market on human parts. Some donors faced ill health and even (unlike the recipients) prosecution. The kidney recipient talked to the Times reporter, but felt enough shame that she did not want her name in the newspaper.

Last week, The Chronicle ran a story by reporter Vanessa Hua about a San Mateo man who flew to Shanghai and paid $110,000 for a liver -- with nary a thought about human-rights activists' contention that China has executed prisoners in order to harvest their organs. Not only was Eric De Leon's name in the paper, he even has a blog about his Shanghai transplant. The man clearly is not ashamed.

Last year, the Chinese deputy health minister admitted, as he promised reform, that the organs of executed prisoners were sold to foreigners. This month, the South China Morning Post reported that a leading Chinese transplant surgeon estimated that more than 99 percent of transplanted organs in China came from executed prisoners. [...]

[A]s the De Leons blogged, "You and I have no right and are in no position to know and/or judge China's judicial system." In De Leon's America, you don't judge, you use other people's parts.


There seems little doubt that in a food shortage such folks would dumpster dive at abortion clinics to find meat for dinner.

Posted by Orrin Judd at April 30, 2006 3:49 PM
Comments

Don't poke those people OJ. I have no doubt that if you bring it up to them, they would do that now, to prove that it was never human, and then lecture you on your false cons. for thinking it was. Ick.

Posted by: Robert Mitchell Jr. at April 30, 2006 4:15 PM

I would assume, given the treatment by the paper and his hometown, the guy is probably not a regular voter for GOP candidates. Given that, it's too bad the reported didn't ask the guy his opinon on capital punishment here in the US.

One thing always left out in those "heart-warming" stories about transplantation patients is that, except for the kidneys, when you transplant an organ, someone has to die. Usually someone otherwise young and healthy, too.

So why don't we "harvest" criminals for their spare parts? Sure seems like a way they can "repay their debt to society". In the case of murders, they would even be giving someone a life in return for their own.

Posted by: Raoul Ortega at April 30, 2006 7:27 PM

Posted too soon, as wanted to add one more thing...

From the article: I could make a gratuitous crack about liberalism, but I won't because I have no doubt that some conservatives have engaged in the same body-parts snatching. When utilitarianism becomes a substitute for right and wrong, the end result is a lot more wrong.

Or as the De Leons blogged, "You and I have no right and are in no position to know and/or judge China's judicial system."

Hey Saunders. You're a reporter. Do your [expletive deleted] job and find a "conservative" if you are going to make that accusation. I only see you showing one group being "utilitarian" and it ain't those right-wing Christers and fetus-lovers and "Family Values" types.

Posted by: Raoul Ortega at April 30, 2006 7:38 PM

...I have no doubt that some conservative...

Ah, yes. The reality based community never has doubts and never admits it's faith. It makes the search for, ya' know, actual evidence, superfluous. And they'll never run into any contradiction, making their life comfortable as well as superior.

Posted by: Vic at April 30, 2006 7:55 PM

It would seem that Larry Niven's speculation about organ theft becoming a regular criminal enterprise is coming to fruition.

Posted by: Ray Clutts at April 30, 2006 7:56 PM

Medical Professionals: China Has a Very Large Reserve of Organs from Living People
http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/6-4-7/40173.html

Chinese Courts Become Black Markets for Living Human Organs
http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/6-4-25/40828.html

Head Criminal Reveals Details of Organ Harvesting from Living Falun Gong Practitioners
http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/6-4-16/40491.html

Posted by: ic at April 30, 2006 8:39 PM

Organleggers.

Posted by: Gideon at April 30, 2006 10:33 PM

Saunders had a great article about her reaction to the immigration protests. Anyone catch that?

Posted by: RC at May 1, 2006 12:31 AM
« THREE-FER (via Gene Brown): | Main | A BIG FENCE WITH A WIDE GATE: »