Category: Another Viewpoint || By Submitted Report

The McKeesport's Message Committee asked students at McKeesport Area High School to write essays on the theme of "respect."

Winners were honored Tuesday during a celebration at Jacob Woll Pavilion, Renziehausen Park, and received gift cards donated by state Sen. Jim Brewster and state Rep. Marc Gergely, along with Kennywood tickets, passes to White Oak Pool, and other prizes.

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First Place, Junior Class: Taylor Golden

Respect is what a lot if people yearn from either their friends, family, or peers. Although most people want it not many people get it. Respect is not a given, you do not automatically have someone's respect --- it must be earned. It is also not a God given right, no matter what your people have gone through it doesn't mean a person has to respect you. I believe that no matter what happened in the past, you cannot demand respect, you have to earn it.

Some believe that respect is achieved through fear. Fear does not earn respect just because you are bigger or stronger than someone else that does not earn respect.

Many people mistake someone fearing them as someone respecting them. Just because someone might be frightened of you does not mean they respect you at all. I have seen this happen many of times where people have clearly mistaken fear for respect. They think that being assertive and pushing their authority over someone is that person being subservient and ultimately respecting them, but that isn't true.

Respect is earned when a person is courageous, kindhearted, unselfish, and loving. A person who would risk their life for some one else with totally disregard for their own life is very courageous and would certainly earn and gain my respect without question. A nurse who would go to a very poor third world country and help give the children of that country the medical they most definitely need and give with a smile on her face would certainly earn my respect. My parents would rather not buy themselves a single thing that they want and use that money to give me and my siblings every thing we want and more. They would rather go without a nice new pair of shoes or new clothes just to make sure we have everything we want. They just don't do it to give us what we need they do it to give us everything we could possible want so that we have a better childhood than what they had. That also is the most loving thing to me that they rather go with out for us. So with that, they have definitely earned my respect and love.

So what respect means to me is that when someone think nothing but the best about you, when the person who respects you true cares and loves you. Also if anything would happen to them, the person who has earned the respect, the person who respects them would truly be hurt. That is what I think earns respect and what it means to me.

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First Runner-Up, Junior Class: Tem Augustine:

What does RESPECT mean to me? Respect is defined as a regard for or appreciation of the worth or value of someone or something. I agree with this definition and think that respect is a little more than just that. Respect to me is the worth you have for yourself, a person or things people own. Respect is needed for the world to survive.

Everyone must respect themselves. If someone does not respect themselves, then they will not be able to respect someone else or someone else's things. You cannot get respect from others either if you do not respect yourself. To have respect for yourself you must feel good about yourself and have moral values. When you have these things, you will get respect from others as well.

Respect is also something that you should show other people. You need to be considerate of other people's feelings and opinions. You should always treat people the way you want to be treated. Everyone should be treated with respect, but adults, parents, and teachers need to be treated with respect as well. A lot of times students do not treat these people with respect. The words "please" and "thank you'' are great ways to show someone respect. We should always use our manners even if others do not. We will feel better about ourselves.

If people showed respect to themselves and other people's feelings, opinions and values, the world would be a better place. We all want happiness and peace and a great way to get that is to show respect. We need to think be before we do something or say something. We need to think about if we would want someone to say that to me or do that to me. Respect is something that needs to be taught and shown to everyone.

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Second Runner-Up, Junior Class: Sean Lou Gilmore

As a young man that grew up in McKeesport, my mother adopted me at the age of 9 months. My life as a kid consisted of getting good grades and respecting everyone but mainly the adults that have been on this earth longer than I have. Respect to me means recognizing the importance of the authority of the people that are above me and the people that taught me the ways & wisdom they had on this earth to make me a better person. I am most thankful in today's world due to the people and motivation I had from the ones that surrounded my life.

Respect is a every day thing when your dealing with any situation that you come across during your life, like when you meet someone for the first time, if you have respect you'll come correct & approach them as your approaching an elderly person or someone older than you such as your mother/father with Mr./Mrs. and Sir/Ma'am. For example when you go somewhere with your parents it's RESPECT to use Sir/Ma'am when answering that person you meet with your parents. This shows a sign of respect to that person & the impression you put on that person is a good one because of the respect you had for that person. That is my meaning for the word "RESPECT."

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