Respect (aka: Yesterday)

I read a fetlife post from someone who dislikes switches. Specifically, she described seeing a woman at a local kink gathering who "attempted" to serve One and then Dominate another. Interestingly enough, I was at that party and I, along with at least one other woman I noticed, did the very thing the OP described.

Who cares if she doesn't agree that what I do and if she thinks how I live isn't actually possible? What IRKED me is that she described someone who does this as if she were looking at a circus funhouse mirror, constantly off balance and an ever-changing image of reality.

It IRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRKED me! I don't care if she doesn't like how I live. Even if she wasn't specifically talking about ME, she was rude to an entire segment of the kink community. She could've said instead, "I dont get it and it's not for me."
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If you're telling a funny story and it makes no difference what the people look like, why describe them by their race or other attribute that'd most likely be stereotyped negatively? If you dont' stop the prejudice- even if you don't mean anything negative by it- then who will? Who *should* be the first to stop?

Would people think twice about calling Asian people chinks or gooks in front of me, or assume that it's ok to call all Asians "Chinese," if my Indonesian heritage showed more in my features or my build? Do you think it's ok to call all hispanics "Mexican," and that people will "just understand" that you dont' mean any disrespect by that, even though some hispanic populations have a long, drawn out history of animosity and calling a Guatamalan, for example, "Mexican" is worse than outright slapping him on the face?

Is it ok for black people to call themselves "nigga," even if it's not ok for other people to call them that? Is it ok for gay people to call themselves "faggot?"
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Ask a question respectfully. Do you expect to get a respectful, thoughtful and/or honest answer? Does it matter whom you ask? Should it matter whom you ask?
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What if you ask a question- making sure to be as pleasant and non-aggressive as possible- and you simply get NO answer.... just a blank look, or perhaps the person you asked simply walks away?

What if the question you've asked is directed at elected officials that owe you and your fellow community members an answer, if for no other reason than because the answer will directly effect everyone's future plan of action, including the very officials being asked? And what do you do if your question has been ignored for a week, and an answer was needed- or rather, correct information was needed- before the wrong information got out and before the question was even asked?
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What if you lived your life with people, believing you could take them at face value and that they'd be open and honest with you about anything and everything, but then you find out they've misled you and/or that they refuse to look at themselves and see how their actions (or lack of) have gotten them into the unhappy place that they wish so dearly to leave?
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What do you do if your preschooler refuses to listen and repeatedly does the exact opposite of what you tell him, completely disrespecting you despite you having taken away privleges and trying to respectfully talk sense into him?
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Yesterday I was at an almost complete loss as to how to address all these different but related topics that crossed my path in just a few hours. It was an emotional afternoon, to say the least.

I replied to emails. I responded to posts. I cried. I had educational and emotional conversations. I cried. I asked permission to share a secret that I ended up keeping secret, anyway. I cried some more. I refused to spank my son. I got a change of scenery. I cried. I slept fitfully with My boy. I hugged and was loved. And I cried some more.