In my view Vonkluffen's post warrants a sticky in the crm forum. Read this first before posting..
As for the rest, I suppose it is a sign of the times. Nobody respects anybody anymore; policemen are attacked, doctors are disrespected, it is only natural that the public sees us as expendable and expensive ornaments as that is how many of them view the world as a whole; if it is not there to suit their immediate desires, it is surplus and disposable.
You get what you tolerate. In our world we have become a consumer driven society where everybody knows the price of everything and the value of nothing, as has been aptly stated before.
To reinstate respect for pilots you need to reinstate respect for everybody who works in a professional manner. Sadly, when our own managements regard us as mere "assets", if not liabilities as can be deducted from the phrase "Human Resources" and the short term cost-benefit view of those who nowadays run the companies, it will not happen in my lifetime and I have a fair number of years to go.
The best we can do is ensure we are always professional, so at least among ourselves we recognise professionalism and respect it. That also entails not speaking derogatively about others especially in public, for in dfoing so we confirm the negative image that is out there anyway. That does not mean that we cannot entertain some of those thoughts in private, but every pilot who is seen to act in what the public defines as less than professional conduct, does a disservice to the profession.
So if you want to be treated as the professional you are, be seen to act like the professional you are. And even then there is no guarantee, but at least you have the satisfaction of doing it right.