Earlier this week, Mattel, the multinational toy manufacturing company established in 1945, announced the release of two new dolls: a Blind Barbie and a Barbie doll with Down syndrome.
Part of its “Fashionistas” line, the creations are intended to help dispel myths and connect with children living with disabilities. Other dolls in the series use a wheelchair, a cane, have a prosthetic leg or braces, or have other features that most children do not.
Krista Berger, Senior Vice President of Barbie and Global Head of Dolls, noted how the latest iterations of the classic toy transcend the normal fare.
“We recognize that Barbie is much more than just a doll; she represents self-expression and can create a sense of belonging,” she said. “We proudly introduce a new blind Barbie doll and black doll with Down syndrome to our Barbie Fashionistas line, reinforcing our commitment to creating products that represent global belonging and inclusivity in the doll aisle.”
On one hand, the statement from the Barbie official has all the markings of modern-day corporate speak – but could the company’s decision to release these particular dolls wind up saving innocent preborn lives?
In the United States, upwards of 90% of preborn babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted. It’s even higher in other countries, with several nations statistically eliminating the condition altogether via abortion.
Down syndrome, otherwise known as Trisomy 21, occurs when a baby receives an extra chromosome. With a rate of one in every 775 births, it’s relatively rare, but there’s a good chance you know a family who has someone with the condition.
The actor Chris Burke, best known for playing “Charles ‘Corky’ Thatcher” on the television series Life Goes On, takes the condition in stride.
“Having Down syndrome is like being born normal,” he said. “I am just like you, and you are just like me. We are all born in different ways, that is the way I can describe it. I have a normal life.”
If having Down syndrome is so normal, why is it practically a death sentence for children in the womb?
Ignorance, fear and an overarching disconnect when it comes to the sanctity of human life are among the top reasons why children with the condition meet such a tragic fate.
Mattel previously created a “Helen Keller” Barbie doll as part of its “Inspired Women Series.” Lauding the brave woman who lost her sight and hearing as a young girl, it includes braille. A Susan B. Anthony doll is also part of the collection. She was a passionate suffragette who also fiercely opposed abortion.
The original Barbie doll was launched in 1959, the brainchild of Mattel founder Ruth Handler. The pioneering toy elicited praise and criticism. There were some who thought Barbie’s physical perfection set young women up for objectification and eventual disappointment.
Convinced in her cause, Ruth was undeterred. Also unapologetic, she plowed ahead, believing her critics were wrong.
Surely Ruth Handler would be pleased with the company’s latest version of her pioneering toy. Though an inanimate object, dolls have long fostered and encouraged a child’s imagination, emotional expression, and even helped cultivate socialization skills as they play. Now let’s hope they will also help cultivate pro-life hearts in the young. A child with Down syndrome or one without sight is no less a sacred creation and bundle of possibility.
It’s too early to gauge how many minds these new Barbie dolls may change and how many individuals they may persuade to see anew the abortion of children with Down syndrome for what it is – a barbaric and tragic act.
“My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be,” said Ruth. “Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices.”
And so do we all. Let’s choose to acknowledge that every child, regardless of their physical, emotional, or mental condition, is of inestimable worth and deserving of equal love, care, defense and concern.
Image credit: Mattel
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