Why do you think people leave this and other boards? You are not changing their minds at all. They are simple deaming you as being irreliment. This is the problem of academia, too many people who think their answers are the only "Right" answers. Many long held beliefs of past historical commentary has been proven wrong by the advent of the Internet. A media where little known documents and people, who in the past have been silenced by "popular" academia, could express their opinions openly.
For example that the war was fought to "Free the Slave" is still a popular concept. Another erronious concept is that the end objective, If noble enough, justifies the usage of any means necessary to achive that purpose. The error in that is who can predict the future and deterimine what is more noble and just of all possible future outcomes of any action? For example, was freeing the slaves, by any means, a good thing if that changed our concept of governmental foundation, and leads to a strong central Government, which we the people no longer can control?
One basic right all people have is the right to be wrong. But in their being wrong even those, whose opinions are in the majority, will learn something. And that is that all people do not have the same point of view, experiences, or the same frame of references, to frame their opinions with. A person in Vermont has a different perspect, than a person in Texas, or of Alaska. As a results the idea that everyone should have the same single.
As a result I tend to agree with Carolyn, this is supposed to be an open Views and Discussion Board, not a board for academics only. It has tended to be somewhat elitist in it tone of late. To the point that there are only about 5 or 6 poster on this board who I respect and whose responces on a particular subject I will even open and read anymore.