Pardon my lack of apathy

It is astounding how a case that gets media coverage can spark such intense conversation. Even more so that one can let themselves get all fired up about an issue affecting some stranger’s life. I can understand on the one hand that these situations, brought to our attention by some unfortunate soul, initiate thought about circumstances that might possibly, though hopefully never, affect us sometime in our own lifetime. But on the other, I, for example, get really emotionally involved. It is pretty clear how I feel about the Schiavo case. This is just an example of life to me. I don’t want to reiterate my thoughts on it, but I have had two conversations with people whose viewpoints differed from mine drastically and it really got me to thinking. Both conversations really pissed me off. Is it good to have a strong opinion, if when discussing it, causes such intense frustration? Are these kinds of conversations the foundation for change? Or is it better to keep your mouth shut on hot topics, especially when considering the fact that most people have no intentions of veering from their beliefs. Do people respect apathy over fervent convictions…?