Scientists shouldn't debate gaslighters

[stopdiggin]

12. you think the anti-vaxers (and anti-maskers)

represent 'a very small minority?' Boy - that certainly wasn't my experience! Must be a different social cross section ...

And - my comments (if read correctly, and perhaps that is partly my fault) were never an endorsement of 'debate.' Quite the opposite in fact. I believe that attempts - both at the level of casual discourse, and at the professional/credentialed level - should be be summarily dismissed and shut down, just as I proposed. To whit, "That is NOT what the consensus opinion in the discipline has concluded." End of story.

What I do endorse is doctors and scientist being much more vocal (position papers, petitions, opinion pieces, etc.) in denouncing and debunking misinformation and junk science.