The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously

The title of this piece is a quote from the late Vice President Hubert Humphrey. When I first moved to Vermont, I was struck by the impression that it seemed like everyone had an opinion about everything. Since I don't (see my earlier piece entitled "I Don't Care"), I had a little trouble relating to this. Even though I don't really understand, I have learned to accept the idea.
Vermont has a quaint culture that is inclusive and which can be quite positive. Town Meeting Day is an example of this inclusivity and offers everyone an opportunity to participate in debate and decision-making. While this can be a good thing, there is good judgment and bad judgment, so being inclusive can be a mixed blessing, which leads me to Hubert's quote.
Working in State government, I am in an environment in which Public Meetings are a common practice. How public meetings get communicated to the public varies, but the "official" notification is to post a notice on the State's Department of Libraries website. Why it gets announced here escapes me, but it probably goes a long way toward explaining why I am pretty much totally unaware of most of the public meetings are being held.
Depending upon the topic, some meetings generate a great deal of interest and draw decent-sized crowds. The discussion can be quite interesting, with the potential for some of the opinions expressed to be a bit out there. That being said, people have every right to express these opinions, and I will always make a point of listening politely (good manners are important regardless of my personal opinion of what is being said).
One of the potential pitfalls one can encounter in these situations can occur when someone offers an opinion or a suggestion that there is no way on earth you are going to follow through on it. While you may have perfectly good reasons for doing so, the complaint you may get is that the individual who offered the advice is "not being heard". Some people hold the belief that, if they offer suggestion to a public official, that suggestion should be followed; being heard is just not enough. Sometimes, though, the answer needs to be "no", and one needs to learn many tactful ways to say so.
That being said, the inclusive culture in Vermont is not going to go away, so I need to ensure that one is "being heard". While we are listening, though, remember Hubert's observation.