Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Or you will also be like him.
Answer a fool as his folly deserves,
That he not be wise in his own eyes.
--Proverbs 26-4,5
Blangiardi shows why it is a waste of time to argue with antivaxxers.
by Andrew Walden
A Sept 1, 2021 confrontation outside Honolulu Hale: Mayor Blangiardi shows why it is counterproductive to argue with antivaxxers. The antivaxxers are so pleased with the encounter that they put it on video, posted it on their website, and spread it across social media.
In the video (above) the antivaxxer protesters make up one lie after another and then pepper Blangiardi with demands for answers to questions predicated on their lies. Then they demand a 'Town Hall' designed only to give their lies more prominence.
Don't give it to them.
They want to be the focal point but don't even qualify as a side show. There is no need to convince them of anything--and it is counterproductive to try.
To get the rest of Hawaii vaccinated, the unvaccinated must be reached--and that is happening now as the resurgence of COVID convinces the recalcitrant.
In the end these protesters will still be standing on the street corner and it won't matter. They do not represent the unvaccinated. Given their lies, they don't even represent themselves. Blangiardi was therefore talking to nobody.
Instead of drawing attention to these protesters, political leaders should be out at vaccination sites thanking people for getting vaxxed and highlighting the stories behind their decision to get vaxxed. These stories will convince others to get vaxxed.
* * * * *
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi clashes with anti-vax demonstrators
SA: … The scene outside Honolulu Hale turned hostile as anti-vaccination and anti-mask protesters demanded a meeting with Mayor Rick Blangiardi on Wednesday.
A video circulating on social media shows Blangiardi snapping at a man during the demonstration orchestrated by Aloha Freedom Coalition…
The mayor met with demonstrators for an hour, answering questions from the group.
However, the mayor verbally clashed with protesters after a woman incorrectly pointed out that the federal Food and Drug Administration recalled all polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, and asks him why they are still being used in Hawaii.
The FDA actually only recalled one company’s PCR test. PCR tests are still the most accurate test available to detect COVID-19.
(There's the antivaxxer lie. Now watch what happens next.)
In response to the woman’s question, Blangiardi said, “I don’t know the answer to that.”
(That's what happens when liars are allowed to control the debate.)
A man standing in front of the mayor yelled, “Well you should!”
In response, Blangiardi raised his voice and took a step toward the man waving his finger.
“You know what, let me tell you something, you don’t get to tell me what I should know,” Blangiardi said. “You don’t get to talk to me like that, OK … I come out here, you don’t get to talk to me that way.”
(That's more of what happens when liars are allowed to control the debate.)
The demonstrators yelled at Blangiardi to hold a maskless, in-person town hall of 500 people.
“No Zoom!” several protestors yelled.
(The liars want to control an even larger debate. See how this works?)
This comes as the state is seeing record numbers of COVID-19 infection and local hospitals are beginning to cancel elective procedures in an attempt to increase hospital capacity for severely ill COVID-19 patients….
read … Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi clashes with anti-vax demonstrators
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