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I have never, ever, gotten either of those responses. I mostly get screeched at in sputtered syllables. Then when they are capable of speech again, they say something like "I can't even", "How dare you", "This is why nobody loves you" or "This is why everybody hates you". Then for as long as I know them, they mostly avoid me, and spread rumors about me.
No minds are ever "blown" except cognitive dissonance exploding into blind rage. No arguments are ever provided.
I generally find better use in asking when it should be not allowed, most people tend to at least go for the viability standard and are amazed when they figure out that is what is up for debate.
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How do you phrase the question exactly? Is it the same phrasing I made? The reasoning I used was already that obvious to everyone here, eh?
Of course your experiences are exactly what I'd predict. Maybe I didn't emphasize it enough in my post, but those are the only 2 responses possible from honest progressives.
The dishonest ones who use "human rights issue not political issue" as a rhetorical device don't react that way. Of course, if you go over everything they'd ever said on the issue, you probably could construct an argument (go down path (2)). The reason they are dishonest is because the question dissolves the trick.
If somebody is saying, "Don't debate me" then giving an effective debate in response to that will obviously make them angry.
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