Selling Body Parts

A detailed Summary of Selling Body Parts

After reading through the New York Times, an editorial entitled "Psst! Sell Your Kidney" caught my attention. It was published on November 12, 2002. The author of the article was Nicholas Kristof, a well respected writer known for writing about controversial subjects. The article argues that exchanging money for organs can benefit everyone.

The main claim is to persuade the reader that there should be some sort of financial incentive with organ donation. The article begins with an anecdote. Then it works its way through statistics and moral issues to give the reader a better understanding of the argument. While the whole concept of paying for organs sounds "morally bankrupt," as many as 17 people die each day waiting on the never-ending list. According to Kristof, the debate on this issue has caused quite a stir in the medical community, and by the time the problem is resolved it'll have killed more Americans than the entire Vietnam War.

Kristof's editorial targets the reader who does not hold a definitive viewpoint on the topic at hand. The main reason why the American public has not considered the issue is because it is unethical and borders on the role of playing G-d. This editorial sheds a new light on putting organs on t

Overall the author did a good job of informing his readers of what the basic facts are and how it has affected the lives of people just like you and me. Without citing the sources of his statistics, and his lack of developing the ethos appeal takes away from the editorial's influence on the audience. Yet, Kristof does make it apparent that many people die every year while waiting for vital organs - organs that would almost certainly be available in plentiful supply if the prospective donors had an incentive other than good will to motivate their donation. The author mainly uses pathos and logos to grab his reader's attention, and once put in this prospective receiving money for organs does not sound so bad after all.

he free market. This new light helped me see a whole new side of the patients as well as the donors' families. While the patient gets a new lease on life, the donor's family receives financial support. Perhaps having a little economic gain is not as unethical as once thought.

The article did contain a substantial amount of pathos, logos, and ethos. It appealed to all senses while uncovering new information about the economic world of organ donation. The article begins with an appeal to pathos with the use of an anecdote. The anecdote is that of a 68-year-old retired school teacher who is waiting on the list for a new kidney, while being hooked up to a dialysis machine three times a day. This automatically grabs the reader's attention and helps them sympathize to patients who are struggling to survive. Kristof goes on to ask Mrs. Johnson if she would have any "misgivings" paying for an organ, and she bluntly stated "no." When it comes down to a life or de

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Approximate Word count = 1134
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous