"Equates".

Well, I wouldn't go that far, but your mileage may vary.

As someone with a bit of experience writing Op-Ed pieces I can tell you that there are a few restrictions involved in getting your point across. 

One of them is space.  Depending on the publication you have a word count limit.

The other is the editors.

If they feel you've made your point and they need the ad space, they'll modify a sentence, whack a paragraph, and not bother to ask you how you feel about it.

Again:  He named sources.  Not a doctoral thesis.

You've done all you can do here.

Thanks for the heads up.