Can the Government Take your Liver without your Consent?

Before you say no think about this. There is a movement in the UK (Great Britain) to allow the government to take organs from dead people without any ones consent. The principle backer of this proposal is British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Brown’s reasoning is there are not enough voluntary organ donors so when you’re dead (or presumed dead) he would like them to be able to take whatever organs they need.

I know people who have had organ transplants and/or who were on organ transplant teams. I know there is a need and I know that in the hands of competent, ethical people transplants are a good thing, but I also know someone who was told her husband was brain dead and asked for permission to disconnect his respirator. She refused. Good thing too, because her new husband came out of his coma and lived for years afterwards. They had two children and grandchildren. If she had listened to the doctors, her family would have never existed and her husband would have been denied his right to life.

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According to the NY Times, (no comments, please), the California Energy Commission is considering taking control of residents thermostats so that they can control residential temperatures by overriding household controls in times of energy crisis. 

Their reasoning is during rolling black outs you wouldn’t want to contribute to flashing stoplights or crashed computers.    Of course, this would primarily apply to summer and wouldn’t help in our house where the a/c is kept at 80 degrees.   But it would really p.o. some of my neighbors who keep their house at a constant “cool” 70 degrees.

Outrageous. You bet, but don’t think things like this can’t happen, because once we let government control us in one way what’s to prevent other more intrusive ways.

For example, the ban on smoking began with a prohibition of smoking on airplanes about 20 years ago. When anyone complained about a slippery slope, I laughed. I didn’t smoke. After the ban on airplanes they just kept nibbling away. Now, you can’t smoke in any public place. Some places have actually banned smoking in private residences and there is a move afoot to ban smoking in cars. That’s intrusive.

Now, they are beginning the slow nibble on what foods we eat. First, it started in NYC with attempted bans and regulations on fast foods and it’s spreading across the country. The environmentalists are calling for a ban on beef because cattle, among others, put too much methane in the atmosphere contributing to a hole in the ozone layer. (It’s not beef, but turkey that has that effect on me. And, to prevent methane from my husband you would have to ban everything, including my husband. “>)

Another suggestion to reduce methane would be to eliminate everyone over 60, but no one would seriously suggest that (would they)?

If you think none of the above could happen, think again. 

Some of it is happening right now. As an example, we don’t want to give any more money to terrorists so we’re all willing to drive more fuel-efficient cars. (I’ve always driven a fuel-efficient car so I don’t know what all the hype is about. The cars I have right now get 30-32 mpg.) The government has mandated that we drive even more fuel-efficient cars so by 2020 manufacturers have to create cars that get 40 mpg. The easiest way to do this is by reducing the weight/size of the car, but when you do that you make everyone in those cars more vulnerable in combat with a heavier vehicle. 

There is a bright side though. If they can salvage enough of your remains they may be able to harvest some organs. “>)

Is the water hot enough for you yet?