Policy Proposal
Identify the problem related to the sale, trade, or donation of human organs.
The scarcity of human organs has been a problem since the inception of the technology of human organ transplantation. Hundreds of thousands of people are on the organ transplant list; many of them realistically have no chance of getting the organs they need to survive in time. In the United States, for example, there are approximately 109,000 people on the transplant waiting list. This list is diverse, including people of different ages, genders, and races. Less than 10% of the expected transplants are conducted in a year (Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), 2021). The scarcity of human organs has naturally created a market for them. Although legally prohibited, the sale, trade, and donation of human organs is a practice with growing popularity around the world. The market for organ trade has motivated the growth of an international racket of organ trafficking spanning across continents (Abouna, 2008). This market puts the lives of many at risk since the organ traders’ main goal is to acquire the organs for sale. There are also people who sell or donate their organs for a certain benefit, such as financial gain. This process might seem okay and normal to many people in this market, but it is actually iniquitous. The organ trade, sale, and donation market actually creates more risk than benefits. This practice creates a risk of human trafficking and violation of human dignity, where people sell their organs just because poverty has forced them to (Abouna, 2008). There is a need for policy action to reduce the risks of organ sale, trade, and unethical donation. To promote the ethical transplantation of human organs and discourage their trade market, there should be better-developed systems of ethical organ transplantation, the development of laws that discourage organ trading and trafficking, and better treatment of conditions that lead to organ failure.
Propose action offering specific details to show how the actions will help alleviate the problem.
Creating better systems of ethical organ transplantation is one of the ways to suppress the organ trade and sale market. Better transplantation systems mean that people needing organs will get them faster through legal channels. Faster access to organs discourages them from looking into the black market for organs. Many challenges in the healthcare industry cause people to stay on the transplant lists for months or even years without getting the needed organs. Part of the challenges that face organ transplantation are purely ethical. One of the ethical issues that affect this area of healthcare is the definition of death. How people view death varies between social and cultural groups (Rogers et al., 2019). Brain death, in particular, is something that many social groups do not understand or accept. To many, a person is alive as long as their heart can still beat. Therefore, they would rather have their loved ones on life support for extended periods of time than see them dead, even when their organs would save the lives of others. Therefore, one way to improve ethical organ transplantation is to educate the members of the public on the definition of death. The concept of brain death requires a better understanding for more people to be open to giving their organs when they no longer need them. This policy creates better availability of organs, hence discouraging traffickers and healthy people from donating or selling their organs (Rogers et al., 2019).
Another strategy to improve the organ transplantation system is to encourage people to register as organ donors when they die. Registered organ donors improve the system by making more organs available for needy people. The shortage of registered organ donors means that many people who would have been willing to help others die together with their organs. Registering more people as donors will promote the saving of organs when people die, hence reducing the organ donation list much faster. Generally, the improvement of the organ donation system increases the availability of organs to discourage the sale, trade, and donation of organs.
Additionally, there is a need for stronger laws that discourage organ trading and trafficking. Stronger policies that maximize the consequences of organ trafficking and play a big role in discouraging the market for human organs. There are already some policies in place that have been created to regulate this market. For example, the signed consent of a donor is required to transplant organs in the United States. If a person dies without consenting to donate their organs, then the organs cannot be used (DeRoos et al., 2019). This policy serves to respect human dignity. Everyone deserves the autonomy to determine what happens with their organs. The law affords them this ethical right by allowing them to sign a consent or donate their organs after death. This policy also helps to discourage illegal transplantation procedures in the hospital. Doctors cannot legally perform a procedure without the legal requirements having been fulfilled. Thus, it is less likely that a transplantation that occurs in a hospital will be a product of human trafficking. Additionally, the law should hold doctors more accountable in the organ trafficking market. No organ transplantation occurs without the involvement of a skilled doctor. Therefore, these professionals should play a leading role in maintaining an ethical practice in transplantation. Mandatory reporting is an example of a way to hold doctors accountable. Doctors should be required to report any cases of organ donation that they believe could have stemmed from the illegal market. When there is a risk of doctors reporting illegal practices, there will be reduced involvement of people in the organ trade market (Martin et al., 2019). In summary, policy support is important if there is any hope of reducing the risks of organ trafficking. Laws that make it harder for the transplantation of illegally acquired organs will discourage people from choosing the illegal path to get the organs they need for their different health needs.
Lastly, solving the organ trade and sale problem is possible by developing better treatments for conditions that lead to organ failure. Less organ failure incidents lead to fewer organ requirements, reducing the need for the organ trafficking market. There has been a consistent increase in organ failures over the years (HRSA, 2021). The demand for organ transplantation has increased rapidly during the past few decades due to the increasing cases of vital organ failures. More people have cardiovascular diseases, renal failure, liver diseases, and other vital organ issues that increase the demand for organs. In the past decade, the American organ transplant list has increased by over 10% despite some people getting organs and others dying (HRSA, 2021). This increment excludes the many organ failures that do not make it to the list. The rapid increase in demand for organs is a call for concern. There is a need to develop better approaches to prevent the demand for these organs (Bastani et al., 2020). One example of a way to reduce the demand for organs is to promote better lifestyles. A lot of organ failures are connected to lifestyle-related illnesses. For instance, heart disease and diabetes are some of the common conditions that may lead to organ failures. Both of these conditions can be prevented or managed through better dieting and physical activity standards. Policies promoting better living standards, such as providing better quality food and resources for exercising within the communities, can help prevent organ failures. More investment in health care research is also required. The government needs to inject more resources into medical research to reduce organ failure risks. These donations will help healthcare professionals to find ways to reduce the demand for human organs (Bastani et al., 2020). Prevention is usually better than cure; therefore, preventing organ failures is the best way to reduce the demand for organs. Reduced demand for organs means that there will be a smaller market for selling or donating human organs.
In conclusion, human organ sale, trade, or donation is wrong for many reasons. The market for human organs puts the lives of many at risk. The high demand for organs has created a global trafficking racket that places the need for these organs above the lives of victims. Additionally, the market violates the dignity of many people. Some may feel the need to sell their organs for money because they are poor. This proposal includes potential policy action that could help to maintain safety and dignity in organ transplantation. The proposal includes three possible actions that can help to reduce the trade, sale, and donation of human organs. One of the proposed changes is developing better systems supporting ethical organ transplantation. Increasing the amount of ethically acquired organs in the healthcare industry will discourage the illegal market for these organs. Secondly, there is a need for the development of better laws to discourage organ trading and trafficking. Having strict requirements for organ transplantation, such as donor consent and mandatory reporting of illegal organ acquisition, helps improve ethical practices in the market. Most importantly, more investment should be directed towards the prevention of organ failure. More investment should be directed towards the treatment of conditions that lead to organ failure. There should also be a better focus on the prevention of these conditions altogether. These policies’ support will help protect the dignity of the organ transplantation process. While it is important to make organs available for the people who need them, the process should never be at the expense of the rest of the population. People should support these policies to prevent the trafficking of human organs.
References
Abouna, G. M. (2008, January). Organ shortage crisis: problems and possible solutions. In Transplantation proceedings (Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 34-38). Elsevier.
Bastani, B. (2020). The present and future of transplant organ shortage: some potential remedies. Journal of Nephrology, 33(2), 277-288.
DeRoos, L. J., Marrero, W. J., Tapper, E. B., Sonnenday, C. J., Lavieri, M. S., Hutton, D. W., & Parikh, N. D. (2019). Estimated association between organ availability and presumed consent in solid organ transplant. JAMA network open, 2(10), e1912431-e1912431.
Health Resources and Services Administration (2021). Organ donation statistics. https://www.organdonor.gov/statistics-stories/statistics.html#:~:text=There%20are%20currently%20over%20109%2C000,age%2C%20ethnicity%2C%20and%20gender.
Martin, D. E., Van Assche, K., Domínguez-Gil, B., López-Fraga, M., Gallont, R. G., Muller, E., & Capron, A. M. (2019). Strengthening global efforts to combat organ trafficking and transplant tourism: implications of the 2018 edition of the Declaration of Istanbul. Transplantation direct, 5(3).
Rogers, W., Robertson, M. P., Ballantyne, A., Blakely, B., Catsanos, R., Clay-Williams, R., & Singh, M. F. (2019). Compliance with ethical standards in the reporting of donor sources and ethics review in peer-reviewed publications involving organ transplantation in China: a scoping review. BMJ open, 9(2), e024473.
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Question 
Proposal Argument Essay Assignment
A Policy Proposal as a Guest Editorial
Write a 1,500-1,750-word policy proposal related to the sale, trade, or donation of human organs using five to seven academic resourcesThe policy proposal should be suitable for publication as an editorial in a college or city newspaper or in a publication associated with a particular group, such as a church newsletter or employee bulletin. The voice and style of your argument should be aimed at readers of your chosen publication. Remember to not use first person pronouns (I, me, us, we, our, my, mine) or second person pronouns (you, your, yours) in this guest editorial writing, unless given permission by your instructor.
Policy Proposal
Your editorial should have the following features:
- Identify the problem related to the sale, trade, or donation of human organs.
- ersuade the audience that you have selected that this is a problem that needs solving; give it presence.
- Propose action offering specific details to show how the actions will help alleviate the problem.
- Justify your solution; the reasons why your audience should accept your proposal and act on it.
This essay is NOT simply a persuasive essay on organ sale, trade, or donation. It is an argumentative proposal that offers a practical and justifiable solution to a problem related to organ donation.
First Draft Grading
- You will receive completion points for the first draft based upon the successful submission of a complete draft.
- Because your first draft is a completion grade, do not assume that this grade reflects or predicts the final grade. If you do not consider your instructor’s comments, you may be deducted points on your final draft.
Final Draft Grading
The essay will be graded using a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations.
Sources
- Include in-text citations and a references page in APA Style for FIVE to SEVEN scholarly sources outside of class texts.
- These sources should be used to support any claims you make and should be present in the text of the essay.
- Use the GCU Library to help you find sources.
- Include this research in the paper in a scholarly manner.
Format
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
LopesWrite
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
ENG-106 Rubric: Proposal Essay
| Criteria | % Value | 1: Unsatisfactory | 2: Less Than Satisfactory | 3: Satisfactory | 4: Good | 5: Excellent | ||
| % Scaling | 0% | 65% | 75% | 85% | 100% | |||
| Content & Ideas – 40% | ||||||||
| Proposal
Content and Ideas Should: Include an effective title. Use a thesis that centers on a proposal argument. Give a problem presence. Develop the proposal argument by using claim-type strategies that support proposals (categorical, ethical, and/or cause and effect claims). Present specific evidence to supplement supporting arguments. |
40% | Does not have title, and has missing or indiscernible thesis statement and minimal evidence to support main ideas. The writer gives the problem no presence. Argument includes elements of a proposal, but the argument does not center on the proposal. The writer does not use strategies that support proposal arguments. | Title may not suggest subject and does not spark interest. Thesis statement and/or the controlling idea are not clearly stated. The writer gives the problem little presence. Argument includes elements of proposals, but the argument does not center on a proposal and/or the writer does not use strategies that support proposal arguments very well. Ideas are underdeveloped and clichéd. They do not support the thesis. Evidence from outside sources can be irrelevant. | Title suggests subject but does not spark interest. Thesis statement identifies the main point the author is trying to make. The writer gives the problem some presence, though the problem could be explained more forcefully. Most of content relates to thesis statement, but lacks sufficient support through appropriate strategies for making proposal arguments (categorical, ethical, and/or cause and effect claims). Argument may not center specifically on a proposal. Cited evidence sometimes does not justify ideas. | Title suggests subject but does not necessarily spark interest. Thesis statement clearly identifies the main point the author is trying to make. The writer gives the problem presence. Argument centers specifically on a proposal and uses strategies that support it (categorical, ethical, and/or cause and effect claims). Most of the content supports thesis, and cited evidence usually justifies ideas. | Title suggests subject and sparks interest. With a clear, controlling idea, thesis statement effectively identifies the main proposal the student is trying to make. The student gives the problem full presence. Content supports thesis well by effectively using strategies that support proposals as necessary (categorical, ethical, and/or cause and effect claims). Specific, cited evidence justifies ideas and enriches the essay. | ||
| Organization – 12% | ||||||||
| Organization
|
12% | No apparent organization present. The piece does not explain that a problem exists, provide a solution, and/or justify the solution. Ineffective introduction does not invite readers or explain the subject. The reader cannot find the thesis statement. Underdeveloped paragraphs lack focus and topic sentences. No conclusion present. | No apparent organization present. The piece might explain that a problem exists, offer a solution, and justify the solution, but may do so only minimally. Introduction explains subject, but does not engage readers. Thesis is difficult to find. Underdeveloped paragraphs lack focus and topic sentences. Weak conclusion offered. | Organization is clear, but with minor errors. The piece might explain that a problem exists, offer a solution, and justify the solution without doing all three convincingly. Introduction explains subject, but does not adequately engage readers. Thesis may be misplaced. Paragraphs are not developed around topic sentences, and may not always advance essay’s ideas. Conclusion summarizes but does not conclude. | Organization aids readers in understanding content. The writing somewhat persuades readers that a problem exists and is important, provide details about the solution, and justify the solution. Introduction explains subject, but may not engage readers. Thesis statement is placed appropriately, according to the genre of writing set forth in the assignment description in the syllabus. Well-ordered paragraphs are developed around topic sentences, and advance essay’s ideas. Conclusion may be more of a summary. | Logically organized to help readers understand content. The writing persuades readers that a problem exists and is important, provide appropriately specific details about the solution, and justify the solution. Introduction explains subject and engages readers. Thesis statement is placed appropriately, according to the genre set forth in the assignment description in the syllabus. Well-ordered paragraphs are developed around topic sentences, and advance essay’s ideas. Conclusion provides strong, satisfying ending, not a mere summary of the essay. | ||
| Format – 16% | ||||||||
| Paper Format
|
16% | Layout: Essay lacks more than THREE of the following: double-spaced, 12 pt, Times New Roman font, 1″ margins, heading (with name, course, date, and instructor), assignment title, and page numbers using appropriate header function. Not all information, paraphrases, quotations, and borrowed ideas are cited on the page they appear; little or no in-text citations and/or entries on reference page used; major documentation oversights noted; major format errors and omissions noted; inappropriate number of required sources used. | Layout: Essay lacks THREE of the following: double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, 1″ margins, heading (with name, course, date, and instructor), assignment title, and page numbers using appropriate header function. Not all information, paraphrases, quotations, and borrowed ideas are cited on the page they appear; missing more than one citation and/or reference entry; significant documentation oversights noted; significant format errors or omissions noted; inappropriate number of required sources used. | Layout: Essay lacks TWO of the following: double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, 1″ margins, heading (with name, course, date, and instructor), assignment title, and page numbers using appropriate header function. Not all information, paraphrases, quotations, and borrowed ideas are cited on the page they appear; missing one in-text citation and/or reference entry; minor documentation oversights noted; minor formatting errors or omissions noted; appropriate number of required sources are used. | Essay lacks ONE of the following: double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, 1″ margins, heading (with name, course, date, and instructor), assignment title, and page numbers using appropriate header function. All information, paraphrases, quotations, and borrowed ideas are cited on the page that they appear and are listed on the references page (APA format); some minor errors or omissions in format noted; appropriate number of required sources is used. | Layout: Essay is double-spaced with 12 pt. Times New Roman font, 1″ margins, heading (with name, course, date, and instructor), assignment title, and page numbers using appropriate header function. All information, paraphrases, quotations, and borrowed ideas are cited in parenthetical APA format; all sources are listed on the references page (APA format); all citations and reference entries are complete and in alphabetical order; appropriate number of required sources is used. | ||
| Language & Style – 16% | ||||||||
| Language & Style
|
16% | Voice & tone are inappropriate and ineffective in creating appropriate mood. Inappropriate word choice used. Sentence structure includes ungrammatical structures and no variety. Writing is wordy. | Voice & tone are inappropriate and ineffective in creating appropriate mood. Word choice fails in use of appropriate, precise language and strong verbs. Includes too many “to be” verbs. No attempt to vary sentence structure noted. Writing is wordy. | Voice & tone usually do not characterize ideas appropriately or effectively create appropriate mood. Word choice includes nonstandard outdated usage, too many “to be” verbs, is not precise, and is occasionally incorrect. Some slang or jargon exists in the paper. Inadequate variety in sentence structure noted. Writing is wordy. | Voice & tone usually characterize ideas effectively create appropriate mood. Word choice usually includes current standard usage, active verbs, concrete nouns, and precise words. Some slang or jargon exists in the paper. Some variety of sentence structures strengthens the ideas, creates vitality, and avoids choppiness in the writing. Writing is mostly concisely written. | Voice & tone characterize ideas and effectively create appropriate mood. Word choice includes current standard usage, active verbs, concrete nouns, and precise words. Sentence structures strengthen the ideas, create vitality, and avoid choppiness in the writing. Writing is concise. | ||
| Grammar & Mechanics – 16% | ||||||||
| Grammar & Mechanics | 16% | Demonstrates no control of grammar, spelling, & punctuation conventions.
Many errors, such as: Apostrophe use Capitalization Commas misplaced or missing Parallelism Faulty point of view shifts Pronoun agreement Quotation errors Semicolons misused Run-ons & fragments Spelling errors Subject-verb agreement Tense shifts |
Demonstrates minimal control of grammar, spelling, & punctuation conventions. Several errors, such as:
Apostrophe use Capitalization Commas misplaced or missing Parallelism Faulty point of view shifts Pronoun agreement Quotation errors Semicolons misused Run-ons & fragments Spelling errors Subject-verb agreement Tense shifts |
Demonstrates reasonable control of grammar, spelling, & punctuation conventions.
Some errors, such as: Apostrophe use Capitalization Commas misplaced or missing Parallelism Faulty point of view shifts Pronoun agreement Quotation errors Semicolons misused Run-ons & fragments Spelling errors Subject-verb agreement Tense shifts |
Demonstrates high control of grammar, spelling, & punctuation conventions. Few errors, such as:
Apostrophe use Capitalization Commas misplaced or missing Parallelism Faulty point of view shifts Pronoun agreement Quotation errors Semicolons misused Run-ons & fragments Spelling errors Subject-verb agreement Tense shifts |
Demonstrates outstanding control of grammar, spelling, & punctuation conventions.
No errors, such as: Apostrophe use Capitalization Commas misplaced or missing Parallelism Faulty point of view shifts Pronoun agreement Quotation errors Semicolons misused Run-ons & fragments Spelling errors Subject-verb agreement Tense shifts |
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