Montgomery County Right to Life Hosts High School Oratory Competition
High school students from across the great state of Texas gathered last Saturday morning in Montgomery County, outside Houston, for the 7th annual High School Oratory Competition.
The contest was open to 11th– and 12th-graders who presented 5- to 7-minute speeches on various life-related topics, including abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia. Abortion was the primary topic of choice among this year’s nine participants.
According to Texas Right to Life, the purpose of the competition is to encourage high school students “to confidently articulate their Pro-Life views with others. This contest seeks to help teens understand, organize, and express their Pro-Life views. Contestants have the opportunity to network with one another to stand together in defending Life.”
Serving as a judge, I found it hard to choose just one winner. But in the end, it was clear to all five judges that three speeches stood out among the rest. Written with skill and delivered with outstanding oration, which reflected endless practice and strong conviction, the three winning speeches earned their presenters $250, $500, and $1,000 prizes, respectively.
Amber Bell, who placed first, discussed her pro-life convictions with authority and emotion. It was her passion for life and the quality of her words that gave her the edge. Inviting the audience to imagine they were never born, Amber walked us through the reality that fifty-five million Americans succumbed to that reality when they were aborted before being given the chance to be born, and to live the full lives that we all enjoy. She drove the point home, saying, “By the end of my speech, at least eighteen unborn children will have been aborted in America.” As a result of her hard work and dedication, Bell secured a spot in National Right to Life’s oratory contest, which will be held during the NRLC Convention in Dallas this June.
Angelle Halvorson and Jonathan Morgan placed second and third, respectively, and their awards were well-deserved. It is young people like these who ensure a bright future for the pro-life movement and a more life-affirming America.
