[McDoku]

This is actually a perfect microcosm of the subject in question :-)

Knowing the community and how they feel about these hot button issues I gain no reputation by making a point against the grain. In fact I have lost reputation...

Hahaha... If I had took my own advice and applied more PR(triage) or acted as a populist. Then would I not have gained votes instead of lost? Even if the position was invalid or it was not what I believed?

This is precisely the deficit that has held back democratic culture for centuries. It is our greatest weakness.