I do take pride in my coolness, I am an arctic bird after all. I also don't mind people kicking back a little (as both you and John have done) because that's part of what makes Medium great. I will state for the record, I'm neither pro-animal abuse nor pro-child abuse - I am anti-flip-flop arguments (if you're a carnivore you shouldn't judge other carnivores outside of your own tribe) and pro-including the views of everyone in the argument (children often have decisions made about them, rather than with them and their input into a process is very valuable).

I haven't replied to John yet but I will, because I think he's speaking candidly and from a place of truth. I won't eviscerate him because he isn't being rude. The snarktillery is reserved for those people who bring a rhetorical knife to a argument gun fight. I likely won't concede to the wisdom he has offered if I disagree entirely - but there is a middle ground where pushback and thinking points can be salvaged. I'm not as obsessed with winning as you may think.

And if you'd like to know my beliefs and my true sympathies then by all means ask. You can piece some of the stuff together from my work but it may just be easier to ask what I think. Sometimes I being contrarian, sometimes I'm not. It's a difficult one to determine I suppose. :o)