This statement seems a bit below MIT. They should take the high ground, above petty Presidential-cycle politics. Science and all that.
It's been difficult to take anyone seriously that has a problem with people they label as "Social Justice Warriors". Also, this isn't the sort of rhetoric I enjoy seeing on HN.
It's important to note that they also specifically called out the President-Elect for his Climate-Denying statements.
Him being racist – and a denier – make this incredibly important.
Why is this important? They are in a position of scientific authority, and they are opposing a position of government authority. He is incorrect, he is ascending to power, and this sets their authority against his authority.
This is about who you trust for your information and who will help shape your opinion. An esteemed educational institution, or a racist demagogue? Sounds to me like you've already made your choice.
this isn't the sort of rhetoric I enjoy seeing on HN
Conversely, I don't enjoy seeing social justice rhetoric on HN. I come here for the tech, startup, and programming news and commentary. So I suppose we're even. The fact that you mistakenly read my view as pro-Trump only highlights the dangers of this kind of content on HN.
> Science and all that
Really sounds like you chose MIT. You know there's a part in there where they acknowledge climate change? That's pretty important.
> Social Justice Rhetoric on HN.
Again, really hard to take you seriously.
Help be part of the solution. Flag politically charged articles. Strip political speech from your comments. Call out in a non-partisan way comments that are injecting politics needlessly into the conversation. Submit and up vote tech articles you find interesting.