Ah, so the problem is hot-button topics, not analogies. That is a bit more complex. It is hard to know where to draw the line between the listener being over-sensitive, and the speaker being a sophisticated troll. Dang and I actually butted heads over that one a few weeks ago.

I think it is just as important to take things at face value, instead of assuming malice, as it is to be sensitive to other people's issues (for lack of a better term). I've actually had decent results debating obvious trolls, just by postponing emotion, identifying and avoiding assumptions, and focusing on the actual meaning of their statements.