The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 20, May 20, 2007, Article 12

CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL FOR ORGAN DONORS?

"Dick Johnson writes: "Great idea. Wrong name. The U.S. Congress 
is considering creating a new medal for honoring organ donors or 
their families. They might even place the portrait of a former 
Congressman, William Frist, on the medal. Excellent. In private 
practice Dr. Frist is a heart and lung transplant surgeon in Tennessee 
and observes first hand the benefits of organ donations.

"Just don't call the new award a 'Congressional Medal.'

"Why? Congress already has two classes of 'Congressional medals' and
this has led to confusion ever since 1862 when the Congressional Medal
of Honor law was enacted. It is a military decoration for exception
valor. The other is a class of medals that dates back to 1790 when
Congress authorized Benjamin Franklin to obtain a medal for George
Washington from the Paris Mint. These Congressional medals --  and
the term -- have been confused ever since.

"Congress has the right, privilege and duty to issue medals. It has
done this over 300 times (although some of these are automatic as
in series, like medals for presidents, secretaries of the treasury,
directors of the mint, and such). Some individual medals required
special Congressional legislation to honor such recipients as the
Wright Brothers, Charles Lindberg, Jonas Salk, even Bob Hope. These
are true 'Congressional medals.'

"It would be unwieldy for Congress to administer such a medal program.
Imagine passing a new law for each such recipient. Let some prominent
organization administer it, perhaps the National Kidney Foundation.
Congress could, however, name the medal for organ donors the 'Frist
Medal' after Dr. Frist. Then it would be a double honor to receive
the First Frist Medal."

To read the article, see: Full Story

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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