I'm with Sky on this one. I think if it is a respect issue, pedestals aren't so bad. There are people who earn a place on a pedestal and aren't "put" there by anyone, they are just there because of the way they relate to others and the way they live their lives. Even if a person is on a pedestal, we have to remember that they are just a person so if they fall off, we need to still respect them.
If that makes sense.