I think when dealing with 'the other side' so to speak, a good many of us (me included) are against the forces of shear ignorance, scientific illiteracy, undo/thinly veiled racism, and a general disunion amongst men (a war of all against all). I certainly wouldn't put you in this category, but you must admit your original comment came in hot, which instinctively makes people put their shields up. I hope we can all be like the Buddha, but for me, it's exceedingly hard to embody
Shake hands, understand why others feel the way they do. You don't have to agree, but it helps.
I need to do this myself, but I don't walk around angry and blame "the other side"