I fully respect the honest reply. That is surprising and refreshing. This is the point that most people begin to engage in mental gymnastics. The one thing I'd clarify is that I'm not critiquing what your opinion is. Everybody is entitled to their own perspective on issues, and like you implied many of those those views will, and should, change over time. Imagine if you held all the views you did when you were 16, or 20, or so on upwards, depending on your age. That'd be quite the underdeveloped individual!

The only thing I'm critiquing is how you came to your view. It's a rationale that, as illustrated, leads to views you'd obviously never endorse. So should the views of masses of people mean something? Of course my opinion on this is clear, but I think if you want to argue that it does surely you must be able to find some form of logic or evidence to support the view. Alternatively, you might even focus on how Linus' behavior is likely harmful to himself. I think it's extremely likely that he changed his views not because he changed his actual view, but because he got tired of years of harassment because of his behavior. But of course such harassment is to be fully expected when you act like a dick. Catch more flies with honey than vinegar, and all that. I don't really agree with these notions, but they are at least reasonable and mostly logical.