Blog or white ... because it never is.

Manitoba MLA Steven Fletcher has tabled a Private Members Bill in the Legislature proposing presumed consent for organ donations.  Fletcher uses his own experience as justification for the proposal.  In 1996, Fletcher was in a car collision with a moose.  The experience has left him paralyzed from the neck down, but it could have been much worse.  Fletcher remembers being close to death and unable to speak for himself and if he had passed, his organs would have gone to waste. A similar law passed in Wales has resulted in 24% more organ transplants. I really don't know how I feel about this law, but, I tend to be the type of person who doesn't want government telling us what to do with our bodies.  I just think government controls so much of our lives that are bodies are our last place where we can exercise choice.  I don't think anyone would want government mandating c-sections of babies who may be born above 6 lbs, for example.  This may be ext...

The debate about whether "true" altruism exists has a long history.  The detractors say that there is no act of sharing, kindness, helping, or sacrificing can be called altruism, as the person performing the act is receiving an intrinsic reward in the form of personal gratification. Some people say that donating blood is an act of altruism.  Detractors say no.   The regular blood donors are rewarded with the knowledge that they are contributing to saying lives and also they are rewarded with a glass of juice and a cookie after donating blood.  The fact that there is a reward negates the fact that it may be altruism. Same thing with donating a kidney or some other organ.  You are rewarded by others viewing you as a hero and you get a lot of positive attention for doing so, therefore, also not altruism. What about giving to charity?   Nope, you get a tax receipt.  Volunteering?  Nope, there are numerous studies that show that the volunteer ben...