Public speaking is typically regarded as one of the most feared activities, yet this was not the case for the high school-age contestants who participated in this year’s National Right to Life Oratory Contest. The contest is held annually in conjunction with the National Right to Life Convention, which was hosted by the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation in Pittsburgh this year. Each participating state sends their winning contestant to the National Right to Life Contest, where their speeches are evaluated by individuals from across the country.
The 2023 winner was Clare C. from Waterford, Pennsylvania. She was presented with an award and a check and gave her speech before Seth Dillon’s talk at the closing banquet. Clare, the ninth of ten children and home educated, began her speech by pointing out that an internet search for crisis pregnancy centers brings up not a list of locations but “article after article appears bashing them. They are called unethical, fake clinics, and providers of misinformation.” The first article that appeared in response to a search for “crisis pregnancy centers” was published by the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics and was titled “Why Crisis Pregnancy Centers are Legal but Unethical.” Clare notes that the article leveled a series of accusations against crisis pregnancy centers.
She then employs a strategic shift in her argument, utilizing studies and health department reports to demonstrate that each accusation leveled against abortion clinics is, in fact, substantiated. It is now necessary to consider the question of whether abortion clinics are legal but unethical.
Clare recounts how the Pennsylvania facility run by the infamous abortionist Kermit Gosnell violated the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) by failing to secure patients’ private information. She notes that “none, not one, of the five Illinois Planned Parenthood facilities, the nation’s leading abortion provider, were licensed by the state.” Moreover, of the 13 clinics that were licensed, approximately 200 violations of health, sanitation, and life code standards were discovered.
Finally, Clare informs her audience that the AMA article asserts that these pro-life pregnancy centers “do not adhere to the four fundamental principles that guide medical practice.” Clare then proceeds to delineate the four principles in question and demonstrates how abortion clinics fail to adhere to them.
Consequently, Clare posits that, in accordance with the four fundamental principles, the unlicensed status of abortion clinics, and their violation of HIPAA, abortion clinics are legally permitted but unethical. Oratory Contest Coordinator Scott Fischbach, NRLC Executive Director, offered his congratulations to Clare and all participants in the 2023 National Right to Life Oratory Contest. He further advised that interested parties should contact their state affiliate of National Right to Life to learn more about participating in the 2024 National Right to Life Oratory Contest.
o purchase a recording of Clare’s speech and all the talks given at the National Right to Life 2023 Convention, please go to NRLConvention.com.
Chelsea Garcia is a political writer with a special interest in international relations and social issues. Events surrounding the war in Ukraine and the war in Israel are a major focus for political journalists. But as a former local reporter, she is also interested in national politics.
Chelsea Garcia studied media, communication and political science in Texas, USA, and learned the journalistic trade during an internship at a daily newspaper. In addition to her political writing, she is pursuing a master's degree in multimedia and writing at Texas.
