Greg Kesich misses the point in his column about his attempt to reach an angry reader (Sept. 13). It was obvious from the man’s initial email that there was no way to find common ground.

I’ve been a grass-roots activist in some capacity for more than 50 years and have learned that it’s pointless to try to reach a person whose views are totally contrary to my own.

I’ve also found that about one-third of the population would be in agreement with my views; a third would be against; and a third would be in the middle. Those are the folks one is most likely to reach. This is where our efforts should be placed.

Barbara Doughty

Portland