by Jojo Ruba
The first time I had to do a public debate was in Grade 9. I was actually confident about speaking until we had to pick our debate topic out of a hat and I picked abortion—but for the pro-choice side! That wasn’t easy for someone like me who was already pro-life. It’s why, when I painstakingly gave my speech for abortion, I made sure to wear a little pro-life pin to show my true colours. Our discussion after the debate was heated, mirroring the mixed emotions of most of my classmates, and many Canadians.