Thanks so much Matthew, it is truly a wonderful thing when someone "gets" you and seems to understand exactly what you are trying to convey. I am so grateful. 

The reason I wrote this is because it seems to me that in the dialogue around responsible travel, protecting the environment and animal welfare very often take centre stage. The idea of demonstrating cultural respect through your actions, as well as your craft (writing, photography, video, etc) never seems to get much air time. Yet I feel it is critically important. It is through respect and understand that we travel writers/photographers can help make the world a better place. We can engender understanding and help erase fear. We can also begin to provide a counterbalance to a very long tradition of colonialism, invasion and irresponsible tourism. 

The sacred cow in the headline, Ron, was meant to be a play on words, working with the sub head about "not putting your foot in it." It refers to having some cultural awareness so that you don't inadvertently insult another culture's sacred images, ideas, traditions, or demean the people of another culture through racism, stereotypes or tired cliches. Does this make sense? It's about becoming more aware of the "other," developing a broader perspective, and seeing beyond the cliches.