A Young Poet’s Pro-Life Voice is Censored — But Her Poem Goes Viral Online

A misapplied liberal bumper sticker has it that “Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History.” It is never applied to strong Christian women being faithful to what God has called them to. But that is precisely what academic historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich was referring to when she penned this quote in a scholarly 1976 journal article.

Ulrich was describing the highly devout Puritan woman of the American colonies.

There is a faithful Christian lass in Jefferson County, Colorado who is actually making history for being silenced by her liberally minded Drake Middle School teacher and school administrators. The Daily Citizen does not know this 13-year-old girl’s name, but we are deeply moved by her brilliance, conviction and passion.

Her seventh grade class was assigned to write a slam poem about, as she explained, “a conflict in the world that we are passionate about.” She chose to write about life because choosing life is a very important part of her family’s story. Neither she nor her mother would exist if her grandmother had not bravely and selflessly chosen life when she found herself pregnant at the tender age of 14. But she did, and they are all thankful.

Yet, her teacher told her she could not present her poem before the class, even though she carefully met all the criteria outlined by the assignment. It was the topic, and her voice, that was muzzled. The mom explained she was told “because of the offensive material in the poem, that they were not going to allow her to present.” 

You can hear this creative poem and judge for yourself if it is offensive and deserving of being banned. It starts with a famous quote from Dr. Suess, “A life is a life, no matter how small.”

It is a lovely, thoughtful piece of work. What a remarkable girl!

But this girl and her mom were told it was “too political.”

The mother rightfully pushed back on the teacher, explaining many other students’ poems presented controversial material like racial politics, LGBT issues, and immigration, but to no resolve.

Yet, it gets worse.

When this mindful girl asked her teacher why she would not be able to present her poem, her teacher told her she would not even be able to be present in the classroom while other students read their own poems. She would have to sit outside. Unlike Rosa Parks who was unjustly asked to move to the back of the bus, this girl was asked to step off the bus.

This young teen bravely pressed the matter and the teacher relented, allowing her to be in the class with her fellow students to hear them recite their poems.

Of her own crisis-laden conception, in which her mother bravely chose life, the student’s mother beautifully explained, “There is hope in hard situations. There is purpose in pain. And good things come out of situations that seem bleak and my family is proof of that.”

Thank God for such beautiful strong female voices speaking truth amid a culture of death. Shame on the Jefferson County, Colorado, school officials for illiberally muting this spirited and intelligent girl’s talented pro-life voice. 

JeffCO Public Schools can be contacted at the following: