This distaste is unsurprising. Research has concluded (see this popular science article about it http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-09/why-were-shutt...) that polarized opinions do affect how strongly readers react to information.

But the core of the article is about how there is a problem about polarized opinions: the core problems with the Mizzou, Yale and al. situations are not related to the opinions expressed themselves: the initial email was that opinion (in the specific case discussed in the article) and the administrator wanted to meet with that student to discuss it.

The problem is that the conversation is not about the concerns expressed in that email anymore, but about the use of one word in the response.

Is that the more important conversion you talk about wanting to have?