Not all of us have the capacity or opportunity to save a life. Many Americans would strongly consider sacrificing themselves to help a fellow American. There’s a simple way each reader could do that, and it wouldn’t cost much at all: become an organ donor.

Donating your organs is something most people don’t think about on a daily basis. I know because I was the same. I never gave the subject much thought either. I remember the Monty Python skit from Britain about live organ transplants and laughed too. Then something occurred recently that made me aware of a growing problem in America.

John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in Georgia. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu. His Twitter account is @JohnTures2.