Please, ask

By World's Editorial Writers - 11/3/2009


Becoming an organ donor is one of the most unselfish and important things a person can do. One organ donor can impact the lives of many people in need. That is why organ donation education is so important and the reason the Legislature in 2001 passed a bill requiring tag agents to ask if customers would like to donate $1 for organ donation education.

Sadly, the results have been less than successful.

For instance, one agent issued 850 licenses from January 2006 to June 2008 and reported that 34.6 percent of those getting licenses donated $1. Another agent, however, issued more than 16,000 licenses and collected nothing, according to the Department of Public Safety.

The law says that all agents and their employees must ask anyone purchasing a driver's license, identification card, title or tag if they would like to make the donation.

We don't believe that agents are thumbing their noses at the law. We do understand that it might make some employees uncomfortable to ask for the donation.

But, it is the law and the fact is that organ, eye and tissue donation touches the lives of hundreds of Oklahomans. The waiting list for donations never goes away.

We know the agents and their employees want to help. We understand the hesitation. But this is too important to ignore. Organ donation saves lives. Please, ask.


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Tulsa World Reader Comments
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my view, Sand Springs (11/3/2009 9:48:01 AM)
As I said yesterday they can ask away I'm not giving them a dollar extra.

SteveD, Tulsa (11/3/2009 10:04:25 AM)
I just got my drivers license renewed a month ago and no one asked me to donate. I would have given a dollar. You see I had an organ transplant. In Sept. of 1999 my younger brother gave me half of his Liver. That's amazing that they can make two Livers out of one. But they can. It happened n Memphis TN., but Tulsa doesn't do Liver transplants.Maybe someday they will.

SteveD, Tulsa (11/3/2009 10:05:34 AM)
Oh yea, and "my view", Screw your view.

my view, Sand Springs (11/3/2009 10:10:24 AM)
SteveD, I have a right to keep my dollar. What's more my drivers license is free.

RGM, Tulsa (11/3/2009 10:14:39 AM)
I was at a tag agency recently and I was not asked vocally. However, a very prominent sign were I stood the entire time getting my new license was there, mentioning the program. I think that many of us who are already organ donors do not understand what the donation is about. Organ Donor awareness? At this point in history, I think that everyone who is willing to be an organ donor is. Many people do not want to be. My mother, for example, is not. She believes that she will go to heaven with the body she left the earth in. She does not want to donate any organs because she feels it may be a sin. I have looked at a lot of licenses and ID's over the years verifying people's identity as they use a check or credit card. I could probably count on one hand the number that were not organ donors. This is just another program, another $1, they are getting out of us for a bureaucratic program that is attempting to reach a saturated market.

psychedelikrelik, Tulsa (11/3/2009 10:17:34 AM)
I don't recall ever having been asked to donate a dollar, but I think I would have if I'd been asked. It's a lousy buck, for cryin' out loud.

psychedelikrelik, Tulsa (11/3/2009 10:24:29 AM)
Sure hope there are plenty of organs in the fridge if you cheapskates ever have need of one.

wardog, Miami (11/12/2009 7:34:33 AM)
I can't imagine why anybody wouldn't wish to be a donor....why not, to give another a chance to live a better life when I'm done with mine, there is no reason to say no. People buy all of these usless things on t.v. they send crooks their money all the time and they won't try and save a life......



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