I agree (and trust) that pilots are safety oriented, and also that we don't know what the item in question was. I want to give the pilot a thumbs up while everyone else complains. If they refuse the equipment, then barring any other facts, why not assume he or she acted in our best interest? Equipment refusals don't happen that often, and I'd imagine they result in more paperwork, scrutiny, and stress for the captain who makes that call versus who signs on the X and takes off anyway.

I respectfully disageee with what seems to be your opinion that at an airplane is always "perfectly" safe under MEL. In many cases it's a risk calculated by authorities to be extremely improbable. Or perhaps, as you said, mitigated by following other procedures. That being said, I listed two examples of AC-owned flights that crashed due to departing with MELs on another topic yesterday.