I have appreciated your general policy in keeping your company out of the intense controversies that so divide the country. Therefore, I was greatly disappointed to see you feature Melinda Gates, one of the most prominent and powerful proponents of abortion, in the cover story of the May issue of your magazine. To hail someone who has championed so ardently for surgical and chemical abortion (under such deliberately deceptive terms as “family planning” and “reproductive health care”) is to join in the sorrowful business. And that’s much different than avoiding the tensions of the culture wars.
The article does emphasize that there are grave, complicated problems that need to be addressed throughout the world. And those problems do include health care, malnutrition, housing, transportation, empowerment and responsibility. But the answers to such difficulties will never be solved by organizations that so utterly fail to appreciate the inherent right to life of all human beings...including the unborn children that are so crassly dismissed by pro-abortion organizations like the Gates Foundation.
By the way, one of the photos that accompanied that story showed Gates involved with a project organized by Marie Stopes International, one of the largest, most notorious abortion businesses in the world. Very sad.
I humbly suggest that Costco be more sensitive to the moral convictions of so many of your family and faith-oriented customers and therefore carefully avoid highlighting people, organizations, and ideologies that present such extreme and, in this case, such unjust and violent actions as destroying preborn boys and girls.
Thank you for your consideration of this very serious matter.
Rev. Dennis Hartford
Director, Vital Signs Ministries
Omaha, Nebraska
