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Allen: Dear Paxton Smith, abortion isn’t as vital to your dreams as your grad speech suggests

Photographs of ultrasound of pregnancy at 4 weeks and 20 weeks of pregnancy Selective focus.
abortion tile fetus baby / Getty Images — Photographs of ultrasound of pregnancy at 4 weeks and 20 weeks of pregnancy Selective focus. abortion tile fetus baby / Getty Images Photographs of ultrasound of pregnancy at 4 weeks and 20 weeks of pregnancy Selective focus. abortion tile fetus baby / Getty Images

By Cynthia M. Allen / Fort Worth Star-Telegram June 16, 2021 4 min read

FORT WORTH, Texas – Paxton Smith, the 2021 valedictorian at Richardson’s Lake Highlands High School, spoke at her commencement about her opposition to Texas’ recent abortion “heartbeat bill.” This open letter is a response.

Dear Paxton,

I watched your speech.

It was all over my Twitter feed this week, ironic since your original commencement address, the one you threw out in favor of your commentary about abortion, was meant to discuss how media has influenced your life.

I would have liked to hear it, because I suspect that the media, social and otherwise, has dramatically affected your views about motherhood, womanhood and certainly about what kinds of hopes, dreams and ambitions are good and desirable these days.