Rough Draft: To Be or Not to Be

Stakeholders Map:

 

Stakeholders and Their Arguments, and the Rebuttals:

((Not all of the rebuttals are my personal opinion. My understanding of the assignment was to give rebuttals for everything, including things we side with.))

Death-row Inmates:
Argument: Death-row inmates would want to be able to donate their organs because they want to save a life before they die.

Rebuttal: Death-row inmates are not trying to help others; they are just trying to extend their life before being put to death. To harvest organs from inmates, doctors would have to go against their oaths and do a surgery that may also be against their moral and/or ethical values. Also, for the organs to be usable, they would have to be harvested from an inmate who was only executed in certain ways. For example, decapitation.

 

Inmates’ Families:
Argument: Our family member (the inmate) should be allowed to donate their organs so they can help us, as well as other people who need organs.

Rebuttal: While family members may be in need of organs, they would have to be a match and they would also have to be prepared for immediate surgery at a nearby hospital. Also, there is no guarantee that the organs from the inmate would be viable.

Organ Donation Receiver (Transplant Candidate):
Argument: We would like to receive these organs, and we do not care where they come from because they can save our lives.

Rebuttal: The organs from the inmates may or may not be viable. The receiver would have also have to be at a nearby hospital due to the time constraint on organ donations.

 

People for Organ Donation:
Argument: We think that death-row inmates should be allowed to donate their organs because they can save lives and do something good before they die.

Rebuttal: Once again, there is no guarantee that their organs will be viable. (I will repeat this often.) Also, the process of organ donation is a lot more difficult than just making a yes or no decision. And to top it all off, if they wanted to do something good, they could go back in time and not do what they did to get into the position they are in.

 

People against Organ Donation:

Argument: We think that death-row inmates should not be allowed to donate their organs because they shouldn’t get an opportunity to make themselves look better. They aren’t trying to do something good, they’re trying to extend their lives. They should continue to wait for their penalty.

Rebuttal: There are many people in the world right now in need of organs, so inmates could save a few lives. Whether or not they are actually trying to get some form of penance for their actions will remain unclear unless an inmate states this themselves. Also, whether or not they donate their organs, they will still be executed.

 

UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing):
Argument: As of today, February 19, 2014, there are 77,305 active transplant candidates on the waiting list. Any donation helps.

Rebuttal: While donations could help a number of people, there is a question that would be whether or not the number is significant. Also, there is difficulty in saying that each and every inmate would have viable organs. While every donation helps, the donations have to be able to happen to be helpful. 

 

Doctors:
Argument: We do not want to be a part of harvesting organ donations because it goes against our moral and/or ethical values as well as against an oath we took as doctors. In order to harvest the organs, the inmate would have to be executed in a way that would either be inhumane or caused by our hands.

Rebuttal: As doctors, you should want to help transplant candidates and perform necessary surgeries to do that. (I can’t even think of anything opposing this argument that would make sense.)

 

Governor of Ohio:
Argument: My decision in allowing Ronald Phillips to donate his organs will cause more harm than good. Or my decision to deny him this privilege will also cause backlash.

Rebuttal: If you choose to allow Ronald Phillips to donate his organs, you can expect that most, if not all, death-row inmates will have the same request. Also, once you say yes to one inmate it may be difficult for you to say no to another with the same request. If you choose to deny his request, you will have to deny the requests of all other inmates that ask to donate their organs. However, you will not be the first to deny inmates of this privilege.