The Straight Dope 11/04/2005

The Straight Dope -- By Cecil Adams
http://www.straightdope.com

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THE STRAIGHT DOPE 11/04/2005

Dear Cecil:

Is there any basis to accusations of Coca-Cola's having
tortured, killed, or otherwise violated the human rights of
workers in Latin America? I am a student in college and have
heard much mention of these supposed "facts." I am not sure
what to make of them, and am wondering if you could reveal
the truth.--Yeh Kahn Yiin, via e-mail

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Cecil replies:

The truth in this case is a tall order. But maybe I can lend
matters a little focus.

A few clarifications. First, we're not talking about
violating the rights of workers in Latin America in general,
but specifically in Colombia. What with drug traffickers,
left-wing guerrillas, and right-wing death squads, life in
Colombia isn't easy, particularly for union members--by one
count something like 2,100 have been murdered since 1991.
The killers are thought to be rightist paramilitaries, but
few have been prosecuted for the crimes.

Second, detailed allegations have been made not about
multiple murders but one murder, specifically that of Isidro
Gil, a union leader who was gunned down on December 5, 1996,
at the entrance to a Coca-Cola plant in the Colombian town
of Carepa. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. federal court in 2001,
Gil's union claimed that before the murder the plant manager
socialized with paramilitaries and announced publicly that
he had told them to destroy the union. After the murder the
other members of Gil's local either quit the union or left
town, allegedly after paramilitaries entered the plant and
told them to resign or else. The suit mentions several
additional killings circumstantially tied to Coke, but
information on them is sketchy and I won't take them up
here. Various other charges have been laid against Coke
elsewhere; to keep this manageable, though, we'll stick to
murder.

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/051104.html

STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC #1 - 12/04/1987

Dear Cecil: 

A few weeks ago a friend of mine had a motorcycle accident
and tore himself up a bit. He was unconcious for about a week.
During this time his parents signed away his organs in case of 
death. A few days after that, the doctors lost all hope for recovery
and suggested that he be removed from life support. He was
removed, then he died, then he was gutted.  My question is, how
dead do you have to be before the MDs start eyeing your organs? I
refuse to donate my organs for fear that I might be salvaged
for parts before I've been given a sporting chance at
recovery. Also, who all can sign a person's organs away?
--Les W., Dallas, Texas 

Cecil replies:  

Sorry about your buddy, Les. Can't say as I blame you for being
a little queasy about "organ harvests," as doctors call them. Even a
surgeon friend of mine says they're weird.  

This isn't going to make you feel any better, but chances are 
parts of your friend weren't very dead at all when they began
dissecting him. Most likely, in fact, his heart was still beating
and he was still breathing with the aid of a ventilator. If he
were stone cold, his organs would have deteriorated too much
to be usable.  

What was dead was his brain. The classic transplant donor
is a motorcycle accident victim who has suffered severe head
injury while the rest of him remains intact. Brain death can be
determined several ways: a "flat line" EEG (little or no electrical
activity in the brain), "doll's eyes" (eyes remain fixed straight ahead 
when the head is moved), no response to ice water squirted in the
ear, etc. A neurologist and/or neurosurgeon is almost always
consulted before the declaration of brain death is made. 

For more, see: 
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_420.html

STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC #2 - 03/15/1985

Dear Cecil: 

Sometimes when I am sleeping I will jerk and wake myself up.
My friends say that I am dreaming about falling, and that if
I hadn't jerked and woke myself up I would have died. Is
this true? I mean, the only thing I could fall off of when I
am sleeping is my bed. But I don't believe I could die.
Uncle Cecil, is this an old wise tail? --Sandy K., Phoenix 

Dear Sandy:  

An "old wise tail," whatever that is, no. An
old wives' tale, quite likely. However, there's a slim
chance you have a serious problem, so listen up.  

Many people, when they're drifting off to sleep, experience
something called "hypnagogic myoclonus," which we've
discussed in this column in the past. This basically
consists of sudden full-body twitches, and often it's
preceded by a sensation of falling. It's not clear why
myoclonus occurs, but it's nothing to worry about.  

On the other hand . . .

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_423b.html

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