As I have just returned from the basement, where I have the magnifier that allows me to read printed material, I wave my copy of Engines of Democracy by Alan Rosenthal. While this is a book required for one of my courses, the first chapter alone is relevant. In part, the chapter talks about why people are dissatisfied with our government and legislators in specific. However, many of the reasons are applicable here.
Firstly, the average citizen-that is none of us here, right?-holds that their beliefs are right and that they are the only right beliefs to have. This is one reason that this individual would not even consider listening to the one person in the county he most respected.
Secondly, jumping a few pages further in the chapter, we read about how the average citizen has little understanding of what goes on, outside of their limited community of like-minded individuals. They have a hard time believing that others hold different, even opposing views, because they are not required to interact with them on a regular basis. For these people, problems are cut and dry, black and white, or pick your favorite flavor of analogy. This is so far removed from reality that these people can not be rationalized with, negotiated with or otherwise persuaded. The world is a much more complicated and messy place, politically and socially, and people like this are not capable of understanding how complex an issue like this really is.
It is sad that some people have to be so ignorant and yet so blatant about their ignorance that they put the rest of us in danger.
The only thing I can say is, I hope that he watches the news and has a publicly listed address and phone number so that he can be included in further debate. I think that he's walked out onto a rather steep slope and there are people who believe that they have the moral high ground may start throwing rocks.
As I say, and probably annoy Cicero with, if you stick your neck out, there will be someone waiting to cut your head off for you.
Peace.