Free the Kidneys!

Former reason editor Virgina Postrel talks about her star turn in Drew Carey's latest reason.tv production on creating a market for organ transplants:

The video is excellent, even though all of us look pretty awful. The only thing I'd fault it for is not making the point that–I cannot say this often enough–EVEN IF EVERY SINGLE ELIGIBLE CADAVER KIDNEY WERE DONATED, THERE WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH. This shortage cannot be fixed by changing the law to override families' wishes and turning everyone who hasn't explicitly said no into a deceased donor. All that would do is sow further mistrust of the organ transplant system, particularly among (calling Barack Obama) already-suspicious African Americans.

Whole thing, well worth reading, here.

Senior Editor Kerry Howley asked "Who Owns Your Organs?" in 2006. Contributing Editor Julian Sanchez explored the morality of organ transplants in 2003. Science Correspondent Ronald Bailey made the case for selling human organs in 2001. James DeLong decried the federal government's mishandling of transplants in 1998. (UPDATE: Cato has also published a recent study on the subject.) And by popular demand, once again, here's Drew Carey: