I believe that one's most fundamental right is ownership over one's own body, and based on this simple premise, I would argue that organ sales in the United States should by all means be legalized. However, the situation is more complicated than a simple question of ownership. If organ sales were legalized, the poor would have a means of attaining a monetary reward, but they might also be forced into unfair deals by the more wealthy, seeking to exploit their financial situation. If sales were legalized, they would have to be tightly regulated. Another question we must ask is: what will happen to organ donation if a price is being set on organs? Organ sales will most likely provide a larger pool for transplants, but they may also raise the price, since families of the deceased may no longer allow clinics to harvest the organs for free. The augmentation in the price of organ transplantation will be particularly drastic if there is only a small pool of people willing to sell their organs. I am dubious that a large number of people will volunteer their organs in exchange for money, given how invasive a procedure is involved, meaning that the price of organs would skyrocket while the supply would not increase significantly.
The article did not significantly change my opinion on whether or not organ sales should be legalized. Yes, it has the potential to provide enough organs to clear the waiting lists for transplantation, and I do agree that the solution to regulating most underground markets (like the organ sales on black markets in other countries) is to legalize the product. Overall, I do believe that organ sales should be legalized, but I foresee a flood of problems and ethical questions ensuing. If the government chooses to legalize sales in the U.S., I hope that they will regulate the market very carefully.
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