I am a firm believer in talking before escalating, treating one's opponents (enemies?) with the same respect that all humans are entitled to. Once the open hand of discourse becomes a closed fist of fear and rage, the interaction has gone South and will likely not return to anything vaguely resembling civility.

But...what about when the person on the "other side" has already gone that way? What is a reasonable person to do? When "facts" is just a word that means "whatever I say it means," and talk--OK, even shouting--is met with wholesale arrest, bullets, and tanks. What then?

When, for example in another thread here, one refers to a Mother Jones--red meat for some--demonstration of the distribution of wealth that can be thoroughly fact-checked, and is casually dismissed by those who "don't see it that way" what does a thoughtful, rational, fact-based person do?

When peaceful conversation and demonstration are met with intentional disruption and violence, what does one do? Close the hand into a fist?

How can a reasonable person respond?

Saul