How to Counter Illiteracy with Literacy

I learned years ago the futility of arguing or debating points of contention with drunks (otherwise reasonable people impaired by excessive alcohol intake) or illiterates (otherwise unreasonable people impaired by insufficient intellect). I was recently reminded of this proclamation when an obviously sober person strongly criticized my view of the world. Under all circumstances, except the two specific exceptions I notated in my first sentence, I would be fine with any critique of my opinions or writings.

Sadly, a certain percentage of people never progress beyond grade school reasoning skills. They're not intellectually capable of justifying their thoughts and positions through their advanced mental acuities, but only through the same childish name calling that served them as mentally undeveloped children. Clearly, it's not a crime in the United States to espouse your views under the First Amendment (or at least not yet) and I sincerely hope it remains that way. I just think it's acknowledgment of mental inferiority when you feel the need to name call and denigrate everybody who doesn't share your views. George W. Bush is a master of this practice. Whenever he is questioned about anything the least bit negative to him, he either sidesteps the question or launches into a contrived, nonsensical attack that has nothing to do whatsoever with the original question. People like this avoid intellectual discussion by their singular insistence that their view is 100% right. If you don't agree with them, they're incapable of scoring debating points with clear concise argument and instead take a trip down memory lane and call you a derogatory name.