If You Want My Respect

I am not a slave to your conditional ways,

I deserve to have my say,

I deserve to be heard,

I am not here just to listen to you,

Please remember I have feelings, too,

I don't have to agree with your words,

And I don't have to bow down to your thoughts;

It's not a case of you're always right,

And I'm always wrong;

I am free to sing my song,

Everybody has the right to feel the way they do,

Everybody has a right to their own thoughts,

And emotions,

You can't expect me to hear you,

If you're going to sit there and invalidate,

Every feeling and every word I say,

If you want my respect,

Talk and listen to me like

I am human.