Q. Okay, so a person disagrees with you profoundly about an important matter and still wishes to persuade you of his or her position. What do you say to this would-be advocate?

A. I am willing to listen to any number of petitions and reasons for certain positions. I respect everyone’s right to their own opinion. But there is an old saying, “Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.”