On what planet should “shutdown STEM” be a reasonable position to hold in the middle of a global pandemic where hundreds of thousands or millions of people’s lives depend on quality STEM research being done in a timely manner?
If you are not a scientist and did not bother to find out what the day was about, why are you prejudging it?
This is the same problem, by the way, as the people tweeting #DefundPolice who get upset at people who think they want to abolish the police entirely. The word “defund” means to remove funding for, not to reduce funding for. It’s the height of arrogance to come up with a slogan either intentionally or accidentally using a word to mean something totally different from what it actually means, and then get upset that I am not willing to learn more about a movement that is effectively engaged in trolling.
I do not believe that there can be any productive conversation unless you decide to seek truth instead of seeking validation of your preconceived notions.