For many years corporations, such as Target, have featured children with Down syndrome in their advertising campaigns. From posters lining the sneaker section of their brick and mortar stores to national television and online ad campaigns focused on influencing millions of consumers, Target has led the way in using children with disabilities, like Down syndrome, to sell their merchandise to the American public.
While I applaud Target for featuring children with Down syndrome, I take offense knowing that, on the other hand, Target not only provides employees health insurance plans that include abortion, but also covers expenses for women traveling to other states to obtain an abortion — and even filters money to Planned Parenthood affiliates.
Target is not alone on this, either. The clothing retailer Gap commendably included children with special needs in its fall 2022 back to school campaign #GapKidsBelong. Unfortunately, Gap also issued a statement immediately following the Dobbs ruling last summer highlighting their abortion coverage for employees.
This is tragic when we realize that, in America, nearly 70 percent of women who learn they are pregnant with a child with Down syndrome choose abortion.
Corporate inconsistency is not lost on me as a parent of a daughter with Down syndrome.
While I desire to see children like my daughter included in everything from ad campaigns and academics to sports teams and extracurricular activities, I long for this same population to receive the same sort of deliberate inclusion and protection in the womb. These children that everyone loves to high five or hug at the grocery store are the same group of children being exterminated through the tragedy of abortion.
Not only should companies like Target stop funding abortions, they should use their platform to be a voice for the voiceless and call out the evils of aborting this priceless group of people.
The death of over two out of every three children with Down syndrome because of abortion is heartbreaking on so many levels. Families miss the joy people with Down syndrome bring, along with their unconditional love. Typical children miss growing up with peers with special needs and the extraordinary friendship they offer. And communities miss the larger picture of rallying around this often overlooked group of people.
People with Down syndrome add value and meaning to this world — as does every human being — and they should be celebrated in the womb, not just outside of it.
When my daughter, Josie, was born with Down syndrome we were overjoyed to welcome her into our family and into this world. We felt special — like God had chosen our family to walk this unique journey and raise this child who was perfectly created in the image of God, just like my other children. Josie’s diagnosis of Down syndrome has never diminished her humanity. In fact, wherever we are as a family, Josie steals the show. People come up to us wanting to speak to her and even wanting to receive a hug from our little girl. At two years old, Josie brings happiness and joy wherever she goes.
It’s a disgrace that Target and other companies might see the joy that children like Josie bring to our world but continue to funnel their dollars into propping up the abortion industry — an industry with Down syndrome in its bullseye.
Every time a doctor, company or individual suggests a mother abort her child with Down syndrome, they’re indicating that Josie’s life doesn’t have value. Josie matters because she is human — and that in and of itself is enough. All people matter — not because of what they can produce, accomplish or offer a society, but because they’re image bearers of God. Let us remember the worth of every human being — whether differently abled or able bodied.
We must call out these companies, such as Target, for undermining their advertising with pro-abortion policies, and we must acknowledge that all people, inside and outside of the womb — disabled or not — are created in the image of God and have the right to exist.
We must be a voice for the voiceless and shout from the rooftops the dignity, value and worth of all humanity.
Jason Law is the Director of Communications at Human Coalition.
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