I appreciate how rational your reply is; thank you for that.

The very fact that other people have those different stances on many issues is exactly why I came here in hopes of a discussion in the first place. I'm being told, pretty firmly on this post, that I'm the bad guy, but this started when I replied to a political post trying to make a point that both sides do silly shit. I absolutely do not want to re-hash those issues with you in this particular discussion, but suffice to point out that political post quite obviously leaned politically left - most "politically right" folks don't refer to people as "Pennsyltuckians" right? - and got a lot of positive feedback. Lots of support in the form of upvotes and comments generally bashing the MAGA dude for his bumper sticker. Many very original cracks about pretending the guy was buying not selling. So, I go on that post and make a comment suggesting some moderation (I pointed out that both sides can be shown to see the other as doing absolutely asinine things), and I get lots of quite obvious negative feedback, right away. Which is fine - I don't mind the downvotes, you know, it's Reddit. I think this post and my replies on it are proof positive I'm not here for the karma. But why wasn't anyone willing to reply and have a conversation with me? Perhaps they assumed that I would not change my views, yet they proved first that they would not change theirs by not even engaging in a discussion.

And you know what? I admit I am not an expert on all subjects, either, nor did I ever claim to be. But for things on which I am not an expert, I must form a reasonable viewpoint. I must attempt an understanding, at some level, such that I can make a decision. I am not an expert on CO2 emissions, yet I can understand what I have read about global warming, and I understand that clear facts indicate we have accelerated global warming with our human emissions. But you muddy the waters when you suggest that "while [you or I] may have opinions and reasons for certain views, they may not be correct..." Ah, but what is an opinion...? Can an opinion be "correct," as a fact can be? I guess I'm not sure I follow you in the transition from an opinion to a determination of "correctness."

No, I absolutely do not have the answers to everything. That's what I love about discussion. I was in the Navy quite a few years back now. One of the things I miss the most about my time in the military was how, no matter where I was.... if I was on shore at my home command, in the office, or if I was underway on a ship I was not a part of the main crew but merely a guest rider... it didn't matter where I was.... even members of other branches (I worked in one work center with Coasties, Airmen (both US and Canadian), Soldiers, and Marines).... we could always have discussions about shit. Sometimes you would hit someone with a bad temper (myself included), sometimes you'd hit someone who liked to drop F-bombs more than the rest of us combined..... But we could talk politics and philosophy and shit. And you know what I know you're already typing your reply, "This isn't the Navy dumbass!" And you're right. But, as I have said several times now, I didn't go out on the street and start begging random people to talk to me. I went to a political post on a subreddit dedicated to my state on a public forum website. I hoped for discussion and I got shut down by the echo chamber, up until I made this post, anyway lol