In Defense of Science - Jonathan Bines' superb piece and my comment

In light of the gallingly awful Ebola media coverage and condemnably irresponsible, opportunistic fear-mongering emanating from many in (and aspiring to be in) the elected class that at times borders on seditious, this piece deserves to be shared … and widely http://huff.to/1vnWaRq. Scientists expert in virology, epidemiology, and infectious disease are now experiencing what climate scientists, evolutionary biologists, and vaccination experts have endured for years: disingenuous skepticism and ideologically motivated distrust from manifestly ignorant and unlearned, epistemically closed ignoramuses who shun learned expertise, rationality, and informed advice in favor of factually unsupported and unsupportable feel-good fictions. The “I’m not a scientist” response some have resorted to uttering of late is a facile, intellectually lazy cop-out tantamount to dereliction by those entrusted with the solemn responsibility of governance, and it is detrimental to public welfare. You’re not a scientist? Fine, no problem. You resolutely refuse to learn or in good faith to acknowledge and consider carefully the information proffered by those who through diligent, focused study possess superior knowledge and expertise which you do not?—then go away so serious people can communicate and address the issue with the lucidity and seriousness it warrants. Your unlettered public utterances serve only to sow confusion and unnecessary worry. And what a pathetic low we have sunk to that late night comedy writers—here, Kimmel’s Jonathan Bines—and satirists—John Oliver, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert—have come frequently to perform better than much “serious” media the public service of articulating the merits of science and spotlighting public figures’ nonsense.