Good Example Of Article Review On A Win-Win For All -- Legalizing Organ Sales

The article by Joanna MacKay, "Organ Sales Will Save Lives" is an interesting read. In the first section of the article, the author gives interesting figures and explains how a number of patients are dying every day because of renal failure. There is no treatment of renal failure. While there is the dialysis, it is a prolonged and physically taxing procedure. The only cure of a renal failure is a kidney transplant. With the present law scenario where organ selling is illegal, there is indeed huge shortage in supply of kidneys for transplant. The list of patients awaiting a kidney is huge, running in thousands.
In the next section, the author tries to establish the advantages of buying a kidney from the black market. According to her, those dying of renal failure will do anything to procure a kidney from the black market in order to save themselves or their loved ones. There are no queues in the black market, and no one to stop them from procuring a kidney. Hence, getting a kidney for transplantation is a much easier option here. In fact, even the quality of kidneys available in the black market is better than the cadaver kidneys that are legal because the life of cadaver kidney is one to two years, while live kidneys can last a life time of the patient.
In the third segment, the author explains how the poor population of the third world countries is willing to sell their kidneys at a price in order to get rid of their debts and such. In such a scenario, where the sellers are willingly parting away from their kidney, the government should not be imposing laws to ban the sale, especially when a huge number of people stand to gain from it all.
Lastly, the author explains that in the black market, while everyone benefits, the health of the seller of the kidney is often neglected. In such a scenario, it is best for the government to legalise organ trade. Not only will this help the government regulate the market, it will also ensure that the interests of the sellers along with those of the buyers are kept safe.
Throughout the article, the author made use of figures and facts in order to enhance the magnitude of the problem. Abiding by the major theme of text structure of the article, which is, compare and contrast, the author makes an effort to eliminate various scenarios before reaching to the one that seems most plausible in the given situation. For example, she has explored all possible options for the patients suffering from renal failure -- surviving by way to medicines, regular dialysis, waiting for kidney transplant through legal channel, getting a kidney transplant done through black market. Since medicines do not work in renal failure and dialysis is a painful, time consuming process with a lot of side-effects, kidney transplantation is the only option. Author describes the process of dialysis metaphorically --"shackled to a machine for the rest of their lives" -- thereby enhancing the feeling of the process being hassle-some and redundant. Now waiting for kidney that matches through the legal medical channel is a long process that may outlive the patient's life itself. Therefore, the easiest way of getting a kidney remains via the black market. Thus, the author brings up an issue then gives all possible options, marking them out one by one, reaching to the conclusion and establishing her point in the end.
Further, she compares the situation of those poor willing to risk their health by selling their kidney to those rich who are willing to risk by playing dangerous sports for pleasure. This comparison here helps in diluting the fear about the risk to the health of the seller.
Lastly, it is towards the end of the article that the author, after establishing the positives of legalising the organ sales, appeals to the better judgement of the reader by appealing to his pathos. She hits the reader by stating that if government legalised organ sales, it will be easier to keep a health check on the sellers, thus protecting their interests. She quite succeeds for the description of the entire process where everyone but the seller gains really disturbs the reader, thus grabbing the only source of solace -- agreeing to the author that legalizing organ sales is beneficial for the society at large.