Audience Chooses Market Solution to Organ Shortage in Final Intelligence
Squared U.S. Debate of the Season
Live Audience Supports Legalizing a Market for Human Organs
NEW YORK, May 14, 2008 -- Intelligence Squared U.S., the Oxford style, three-on-three debate series sponsored by The Rosenkranz Foundation, announced the results of the final debate of its Spring 2008 season on the motion, “We should legalize the market for human organs.” A sold out audience at Asia Society and Museum, New York City voted 60% for the motion and 31% against at the conclusion of the debate. 9% were undecided.
Speaking for the motion were Lloyd R. Cohen , professor of law at George Mason University, Amy L. Friedman, M.D., director of transplantation and professor of surgery at SUNY Upstate Medical University and Sally Satel, resident scholar at AEI and a psychiatrist at the Oasis Clinic in Washington, D.C. James F. Childress, Hollingsworth Professor of Ethics at the University of Virginia and director of the Institute for Practical Ethics and Public Life, Francis L. Delmonico, M.D., professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and director of medical affairs of The Transplantation Society, and David Rothman, Bernard Schoenberg Professor of Social Medicine and director of the Center on Medicine as a Profession at Columbia spoke against. Ira Flatow, host of National Public Radio's, Science Friday, moderated.
“This was a very interesting topic to close out our Spring 2008 debate series” said Robert Rosenkranz, chairman of The Rosenkranz Foundation. “Our panelists did a terrific job engaging the audience in a subject matter that isn’t commonly discussed or debated. We look forward to continuing the Intelligence Squared U.S. debate series, with new and captivating topics, this Fall.”
Intelligence Squared U.S. polls its audience on each motion before and after the debate. At the start of Tuesday’s debate, the audience voted 44% for the motion that “We should legalize the market for human organs,” with 27% against and 29% undecided.
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