Paxton Smith was planning to speak about the role of the media in society when she addressed her graduating class.
But without telling school administrators she switched her topic to something far more controversial: the new Texas abortion law.
VALEDICTORIAN WHO CHANGED THESUBJECT OF HER GRADUATIONSPEECH WITHOUT TELLING HERSCHOOL.PAXTON SMITH WAS PLANNING TOSPEAK ABOUT THE ROLE OF THEMEDIA IN SOCIETY WHEN SHEADDRESSED HER GRADUATINGCLASS.BUT WITHOUT TELLING SCHOOLADMINISTRATORS -- SHE SWITCHEDHER TOPIC TO SOMETHING FAR MORECONTROVERSIAL --THE NEW TEXAS ABORTION LAW.IN SEPTEMBER -- THE SO-CALLED'HEARTBEAT BILL' IS SET TOBECOMELAW WHICH BANS ABORTIONS AFTERSIX WEEKS OF PREGNANCYREGARDLESS OF RAPE OR INCEST.IT'S CONSIDERED THE MOSTRESTRICTIVE ABORTION LAW INTHE COUNTRY.PAXTON SAYS SHE FELT OBLIGATEDTO SPEAK OUT."I AM TERRIFIED THAT IF MYCONTRACEPTIVES FAIL, I AMTERRIFIED THAT IF I AM RAPED,THEN MY HOPES ANDASPIRATIONS AND DREAMS ANDEFFORTS FOR MY FUTURE WILL NOLONGER MATTER.PAXTON TELLING A-B-C NEWS SHECAN'T BELIEVE THE SUPPORT HERSPEECH IS GETTING FROM ACROSSTHE COUNTRY.BUT IN RESPONSE TO HER UN-APPROVED TOPIC -- THE SCHOOLDISTRICT SAYS IT NOW PLANS TOQUOTE -- "REVIEW STUDENT SPEECHPROTOCOLS IN ADVANCE OF NEXTYEAR'S GRADUATIONCEREMONIES."THE SCHOOL POINTS OUT THATVALEDICTORIAN SPEECHES DONOT REFLECT THE SCHOOL'SPOSITION OR THAT OF ITSEMPLOYEES.THE DAUGHTER OF THE FIREFIGH
