Traverse City Record-Eagle

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October 14, 2009

Letters to the Editor: 10/14/2009

Donations save lives

Kudos to Munson Medical Center for converting 75 percent of potential organ donors into actual donors.

But a 75 percent conversion rate means that 25 percent of the organs that could have saved lives were buried or cremated instead.

There is a simple way to reduce this terrible waste -- give donated organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die.

Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. People who aren't willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs.

Those who want to donate their organs to others can join LifeSharers. Membership is free at www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88.

David J. Undis
Nathville, Tenn.

The writer is executive director of LifeSharers.

Decrease our impact

It is encouraging to see the Record-Eagle so vocally advocating for public ownership of Michigan's water and the health of our bays.

However, after reading the Oct. 6 editorial regarding "Water Wars" I am left confused about the Record-Eagle's stance on what can be done to advance these causes.

The final sentence of the editorial requests that its readers "fight every day to protect" our water without giving an indication as to what this struggle might entail.

Do we "fight" by simply professing affinity for the bay? Is it a biannual action by voting for people who will strengthen our environmental laws? Or might the biggest advances in protecting the bay and our water be made through decreasing our impact on the planet by cutting back on frequent actions such as driving or fertilizing our lawns?

Kit Tholen
Traverse City

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