Charlotte, NC (LifeNews.com) -- A teenager from Ohio won the national pro-life oratory contest sponsored by the National Right to Life Committee over the weekend. Elizabeth Trisler, after placing first in the statewide contest sponsored by Ohio Right to Life, bested fellow students from more than two dozen states to take home top prize.

Trisler competed against students from California to Pennsylvania at the contest at the 37th annual National Right to Life Convention in Charlotte.

Students gave memorized speeches of several minutes in length on pro-life topics ranging from abortion to euthanasia to bioethics issues like human cloning and stem cell research.

"Abortion means pain, anguish, death," Trisler began in her speech. "This one word holds 50 million silent screams. But, since 1973, it's just becoming a normal word in America, describing a 'quick, harmless procedure' to fix a 'little mistake.'"

Trisler, who presented her speech before Rep. Chris Smith at the closing banquet of the convention, noted how women are routinely deceived by abortion centers.

"Offered only half-truths and outright lies, no wonder it seems to many that the only option is abortion," she said. "For years, abortion advocates have twisted and concealed the truth."

"These little ones cannot stand up for their rights. They cannot protest the slaughter of over 50 million innocent lives. So we must be their voices -- we must stand up and fight for the rights denied them by our government," Trisler urged.

Mike Gonidakis, the director of Ohio Right to Life, congratulated the two-time winner of his state's essay contest.

"We are so very thankful and proud of Elizabeth during these past two years as we were fortunate to support her passionate efforts not only here in Ohio, but nationally as well," he told LifeNews.com. "She certainly is a young role model and a shining example of the countless number of pro-life teenagers in the great state of Ohio."

LifeNews.com editor Steven Ertelt and business manager Julie Ertelt were part of the panel of judges that participated in the three rounds of competition.

Trisler emerged from the second round that Steven Ertelt judge along with a contestant from Texas and defeated him and two other contestants in the final round to win the top honor.

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Trisler's speech

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