Excellent interview, Paul. I agree that removing the emotions and presenting hard facts and evidence is key to helping people who are mislead. My parents would often times get angry or snarky with me. I tried to remain calm in these situations and just continue with logical questions and statements. It showed who was being reasonable and who was not. Sometimes you can't convince them right off but it can help to at least plant seeds for them. It is their choice whether they wish to use those seeds to grow further.
My advice to all young JW's is never get baptized. If you are to 'imitate Jesus' then wait until adulthood as he did. Luckily, my Mom believed the same. The teenage years are critical for children to develop their own identities. Baptism is unwise during this time. It was during this time period I began to doubt, not just JWs but all religion, the Bible, and God. If you don't get baptized, then you are not a formal, dedicated Jehovah's Witness, and therefore, you can't be disfellowshipped.
As a teenager, I wasn't really aware of this legality to be honest. But I could not dedicate myself to a set of beliefs I did not agree with. So... I never got baptized. My parents did not shun me, although they did withdraw to a certain degree and they did treat me badly at times. But I think this was my saving grace in terms of being able to maintain a relationship with them.