We humans have no business defining our brethren’s value based on what they do for us, for all are made in the image of God and therefore endowed with inalienable dignities from the moment of our conception. There are zero qualifiers for this. The guy languishing on his sofa all day watching Brady Bunch reruns as he stuffs himself with Pringles holds as much inherent value as the brave men and women risking their lives to help the families trapped in Hurricane Harvey right now.
But since leftists, as well as the ideological leaders of the alt-right, want to live by their utilitarian worldview, basing human value on their contributions to the group and the benefits derived from them, what do any of them have to say about the heroic story out of Italy where a Down syndrome teen saved a young girl from drowning?
The story of 17-year-old Valerio Catoia should come as a shock to the Peter Singers of this world, who envision a society like Iceland where abortion has now eradicated the plague of Down syndrome by close to 100%. If Down syndrome people have no inherent worth, unfit to live in our society of useful geniuses (Lenin would beg to differ), then what gives with this Valerio Catoia saving a little girl even though he has Down syndrome?
According to LifeSiteNews, Valerio Catoia became a national hero in Italy when he helped his father save two girls, ages 10 and 14, from drowning at Sabaudia Beach on July 12. After the two girls had literally been swept out to sea by the powerful undercurrent, Valerio Catoia and his father heeded their cries for help and dove in to save them ahead of the lifeguards.
While the father helped the older teen, Valerio aided the 10-year-old. “The little one started to go down but then re-emerged,” The Republic reported, prompting Valerio to “instinctively” dive in after her, cradle her, and swim her to safety.
For his heroic efforts, Italian Minister of Sporting Luca Lotti awarded Valerio the “Solidarity Champion of Italy” medal. He was also honored by Luca Pancalli, the president of the Italian Paralympic Committee, and Olympic swimmer Stefano Battistelli. Former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi also said that all of Italy should feel proud to have citizens like Valerio Catoia.
Was Valerio’s successful rescue a stroke of blind luck? Not at all. Valierio has held a deep affinity for the water for some years now and has been swimming since age three. LifeSiteNews provides some more details:
His parents put him in swim lessons at a young age to help him develop muscle strength and coordination.
As a result, Valerio has become a competitor, taking part in the Special Olympics. His abilities, and not his disabilities, define him — and have saved a girl from drowning.
Despite all of the national adoration, Valerio says he hasn’t changed. He went back to scouting activities and looks forward to school starting. He says, however, that it seems folks around him have changed.
The war on Down syndrome babies has reached frightening levels in recent years. In the United States, 67% of Down syndrome babies are killed in the womb, a percentage growing rapidly. Europe dwarfs us by comparison, executing close to 92% of Down Syndrome babies, with Iceland leading the way at a near 100%.
The European pro-life movement’s campaign to curtail this madness has been met with fierce resistance. In France, for instance, an ad featuring happy Down syndrome children was banned from French television in fear of offending post-abortive women. Thankfully, Italy did not ban Valerio Catoia for making post-abortive women feel guilty.