Tom Rochon, president of Ithaca College, signed presidents' letter to Trump

President Rochon of Ithaca College signs letter to Trump urging him to speak out against harassment and hate

This is the text of the letter:

Letter From Presidents to President-Elect Trump

Dear President-elect Trump,

As do you, we “seek common ground, not hostility; partnership, not conflict.” In order to maintain the trust required for such productive engagement, it is essential that we immediately reaffirm the core values of our democratic nation: human decency, equal rights, freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination. As college and university presidents, we commit ourselves to promoting these values on our campuses and in our communities, and we stand alongside the business, nonprofit, religious and civic leaders who are doing the same in organizations large and small.

In light of your pledge to be “President for all Americans,” we urge you to condemn and work to prevent the harassment, hate and acts of violence that are being perpetrated across our nation, sometimes in your name, which is now synonymous with our nation’s highest office. In our schools, on job sites and college campuses, on public streets and in coffee shops, members of our communities, our children, our families, our neighbors, our students and our employees are facing very real threats, and are frightened.

One of the roles of leaders is to protect and empower the most vulnerable. As president-elect, this responsibility rests heavily on you. Let this be a mark of your leadership.

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I'm glad that Rochon has signed this statement.

Nonetheless, this letter does not name who is really threatened by Trump's administration - Muslims, people of color, LGBT people, students who have been allowed to stay in the United States under the DACA program, Jews, people with disabilities. The targets of these acts of "harassment, hate" and "violence" are not identified, even though these attacks are aimed at member of specific groups.