Paxton Smith, who was graduating from a Dallas-area high school, switched out her speech in order to condemn state legislators for passing a “heartbeat bill” that bans abortions at six weeks.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill two weeks ago.
"I cannot give up this platform to promote complacency and peace,” she told the audience, “when there is a war on my body and a war on my rights.”
According to an NPR story, the graduating senior got a “rousing cheer” for a speech that suggested the “dreams, and hopes and ambitions” of teenage girls is threatened by the new state law.
In various media posts, Smith is described as “brave,” “brilliant, “inspiring,” and “courageous” by abortion-supporting admirers.
“The future’s looking bright,” NARAL, the pro-abortion lobbyist, posted on Twitter.
“So saddening,” countered Marjorie Dannenfelser, who leads Susan B. Anthony List. “Abortion advocates foster a climate of fear.”
Dannenfelser, in a lengthy Twitter post that can be read here, went on to state feminist pioneers viewed abortion as “anti-woman” because three-fourths of its victims are females in the womb.
“Abortion tells women they can’t be mothers and students. Or mothers and doctors. Or mothers and judges,” she writes. “But we live in a nation where a pro-life mom of 7 serves on our highest court.”
LifeNews.com, responding to a portion of the speech, stated “the only thing dehumanizing is ripping apart little babies in abortion.”
LifeNews also pointed out that “liberal activists” in the mainstream media, such as ABC News, are interviewing her as blatant abortion supporters.
“First off, Paxton, wow,” began ABC News reporter Linsey Davis in a live interview on the network.
Mary Elizabeth Castle of Texas Values tells One News Now it is enlightening to witness the praise heaped on the speech-swapping senior when others in her position have been punished for speeches that mention God, Jesus Christ, and their Christian faith.
“There have been a number of cases where valedictorians, or maybe even cheerleaders holding banners with Bible verses, were told not to mention God in their speeches,” Castle points out, “or to not have Bible verses displayed at a meeting or sometimes told not to even wear crosses.”
