Ben- It is our differences, as well as our similarities, that makes life so rich and keeps things interesting. If we all liked the same things life would be pretty boring I think. In spite of your thinking this was a "dumb" thread (I get cranky too and have had similar knee-jerk reactions to things when I am, especially when it strikes at something at my core as you so eloquently have confessed), you have made some interesting contributions yourself and I would guess you may have gotten some 'value' from the insight necessary to write what you have. I guess I'm simply suggesting that is not a "dumb" thread at all. Perhaps if you apply the way you approach music (per your last paragraph) to how you view others points-of-view (simply try to understand them, recognize they may be different than yours, and also realize that you may also have much common ground as we all do) you may open yourself up to a whole new world of possibilities, as you do with the music! You don't need to change people at all, nor defend yourself or anyone else ...appreciate them for who they are, just as you are able to be so open to such a diverse selection of music.
Thank you for your candid thoughts...and I am not at all being sarcastic. I appreciate that they make me think about this stuff too.
Marco