i don't want everyone to be exactly like me
No, I'm sure you don't, but it would be rather difficult in any case, wouldn't you say?
and have to even convince my children of that.
Really? You mean that if you omitted to make efforts to convince them of this, they'd believe that you DO want everyone else to be exactly like you? Susan - what have you done to your children? This sounds quite worrying...
it's just that i think everyone has a right to be heard. for both sides of a story or debate to be told.
Indeed so - although one should be careful merely to present rather than force one's views. Discussions and debates need also to be and remain reasonably civilised and, whilst some people can inject some barbed wit into such things here from time to time, there is a borderline beyond whose transgression can result in unwarranted rudeness which is best ignored.
By the way, Susan, has it occurred to you that, if you give sufficient bons mots to Thal to add to his signature and he accepts them all, you could eventually be held indirectly responsible for his future posts being criticised for undue length? Maybe even Thal hasn't yet thought of that one...
Best,
Alistair