Many stars in Hollywood use their celebrity status to give back and further causes. As such, they often find themselves in the role of activist. Of course, due to the left-leaning tendencies of Hollywood’s elite and those who hold the power in tinsel town, most stars keep themselves squarely away from any “cause” that might even be considered “controversial” or be deemed a “right-wing issue,” no matter how just, with a few notable exception, one of which is Ashton Kutcher.
Although he gained his notoriety and accolades from his own-screen performances, Kutcher has made a name for himself in many circles due to his own activism. He championed the cause of those caught in sex slavery not too long ago, and most recently has taken on the just fight for the rights of the unborn. Though many on the left applauded the passage of the New York law that abolished all limits on abortion in the state and claimed it as a victory for women, Kutcher took another approach.
Following the news out of New York that brought the topic of abortion into the forefront once again across the nation, Kutcher shared a moving video on his Facebook page. The video was created in 2017, and features actor Frank Stephen, a Special Olympian who has Down syndrome. In the video, Frank is speaking to Congress explaining the potential dangers of some types of prenatal screening. When Kutcher shared the video with his over 18 million Facebook fans, he added the caption, “Everyone’s life is valuable” — seemingly communicating that no matter if a person is genetically perfect or not, they deserve a chance at life. They shouldn’t automatically be aborted.
“Sadly, across the world, a notion is being sold that maybe we don’t need research concerning Down syndrome,” Frank says in the video. “Some people say prenatal screens will identify Down syndrome in the womb and those pregnancies will just be terminated…I’ts hard for me to sit here and say those words. I completely understand that the people pushing this particular ‘final solution’ are saying that people like me should not exist. That final view is deeply prejudiced by an outdated idea of life with Down syndrome. Seriously, I have a great life! I am a man with Down syndrome, and my life with worth living.”
Frank Stephen went on to explain that his impairment did not prevent him from getting the most out of life.
“I have lectured at universities, acted in award-winning film and an Emmy-winning TV show, and have spoken to thousands of young people about the value of inclusion in making America great. I have went to the White House twice, and I didn’t have to jump the fence either time.”
Since the actor didn’t expressly portray himself to be pro-life, one can only look at his record of giving to campaigns to see where he lies politically. Kutcher is on record as donating to Barack Obama, and he campaigned for Hillary Clinton. Therefore, one would assume he is pro-choice as these individuals both express pro-choice preferences. However, his desire to value each and every person, no matter their abilities, perhaps paints a slightly different picture.
The video did serve once purpose. This one isn’t an issue of a woman not being ready to support a child or want a child, it’s the issue of screening babies for deformities and then “terminating” pregnancies when those babies are found to have disabilities like Down syndrome. If nothing else, Kutcher’s Facebook post has made the issue of abortion that much more complex. It isn’t only babies from unwanted pregnancies that abortion regularly eliminates, but also babies who are deemed “undesirable” by modern standards. That is truly a sad state.
In conclusion, consider the comment left by one person on Stephen’s video to explain the danger that exists in eliminating those who will not develop “normally”:
“I had a brother with Down syndrome who unfortunately passed away five years ago. Simply put, he was by far the most important and influential person in my life. He touched others like nobody I knew…Pure unconditional love without judgement towards anyone!”
What a shame to miss out on that!
~ 1776 Christian
