Local student's speech highlights real problem with society

Respect is a word that has been lectured about, sung about and preached about, but as one student noted, the world seems to have to forgotten what this word really means.

Tyra Medicine Bear of Harlem High School wrote a speech last year, her freshman year, as an assignment for Erik Murri's English class. The theme, she said, was to write something akin to the Gettysburg Address, in content and social impact.

"So I just thought, 'What's a big problem in our society and our nation that could be somewhat impacted by a good speech?'" Medicine Bear said.

That problem, Medicine Bear said, is respect...