Right to Life’s 34th Annual High School Oratory Contest was held in Charlotte, Michigan this past Saturday. With 19 contestants attending, much of Michigan was represented as these voices gave speech after speech on the importance of life, the grief and pain abortion brings, and the better options available to women everywhere.
We are so pleased to see the next generation adding their voice to the fight for life and we hope that all of them continue to speak out for life at the schools and in their local communities. All our contestants should be congratulated for their incredible work, uplifting messages, and well-crafted rhetoric. As our judges informed us, their decision was made even more difficult by the high quality of the contestants’ speeches.
Pictured from left to right: Hannah Abel, Emily Ranschaert, and Abigail Ries
Our third-place winner was Abigail Ries from St. Clair County Right to Life, who spoke on the culture of death we live in and the ways which euthanasia manifests that culture by encouraging others and even doctors to end vulnerable life.
Our second-place winner was Emily Ranschaert from Grand Rapids Right to Life who spoke about how we as prolife advocates must step up to the task of rescuing the unborn, to fight back in the war against the unborn, and to find the strength to save just one more life.
Finally, our first-place winner was Hannah Abel from Tri-Cities Right to Life, who will go on to represent Right to Life of Michigan at the national oratory contest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Hannah spoke on how the prolife movement can continue to fight for life in a post-Roe era. By using compassion for our neighbors, listening and learning from them, and in turn teaching them about life, abortion, and the unborn, Hannah said that we can help to make a difference and grow the prolife community.
It is people such as these our winners and contestants which help the world see that the prolife movement is eternal. Too often our culture perceives the prolife movement as outdated, a movement of fifty years ago which is now finished with the overturn of Roe. Nothing could be further from the truth, and we at Right to Life of Michigan are proud to host nineteen of the best prolife high schoolers in our entire state. Every one of our contestants is to be congratulated for their commitment and courage to the prolife movement.
We encourage prolife high schoolers across Michigan to join us next year as we host our 35th Annual High School Oratory Contest! Thank you for your courage to speak for life.