I have dealt with this before, in real life, and I always have to sort of catch my breath and think about how to approach it -- whether this is really an opportunity for a little gentle education, or a comlete waste of time.  I have encountered both.

This is sort of a long story, but a few years ago, I ended up in the same remote hunting lodge (don't ask, it was an accident, I don't hunt) as a group of hunters and their wives from Fresno.  The staff mentioned to them that I'd just returned from Iraq, and so over breakfast the father and one of the sons asked me about it.

But they didn't ask many questions.  Dad jumped right in with his opinion:  You know why they're fighting us over there, right?  Because we went there to free their women.

What?!  Honestly, it would have astonished me if I hadn't already heard that particular talking point coming out of the mouth of a US soldier in Baghdad, who really should have known better.

Stop.  Breathe.  Do I engage with this man?  Does he really want to know the truth?

Well actually, I told him, you know, Iraq's not really like Afghanistan was.  The women were doing OK there before, for a Middle Eastern country.  There were female university professors, there were businesswomen, female civil servants, female scientists, female neurosurgeons.  Now they're having a problem.  Now they're being killed because they dare to work.  Now they're being forced to wear the hijab when they leave home, even if they're Christians.  But they never faced anything like that before.

They just sort of looked at me.  They didn't argue, just got quiet.  I really don't know if it sank in.  I had to go, I couldn't stick around for much of a chat.

But anyway, I know how you feel.  So I'll give it a shot.