- Joined
- Oct 17, 2007
- Messages
- 11,862
- Reaction score
- 10,300
- Location
- New York
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Centrist
"This spring, it has been disturbing to see a number of college commencement speakers withdraw -- or have their invitations rescinded -- after protests from students and -- to me, shockingly -- from senior faculty and administrators who should know better," Bloomberg said...
Bloomberg noted other universities have had speakers back out. He pointed to Rutgers, where former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice withdrew amid protests, and Smith College, where International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde withdrew after a student petition.
Michael Bloomberg: Universities becoming bastions of intolerance - CNN.com
While former Mayor Bloomberg was making a commencement address, I believe the points he made went beyond even Higher Education to the larger issue of a willingness to listen to diverse viewpoints (something that also seems increasingly infrequent when it comes to discussions of politics/policy and economics). Receptivity to listen to another view point should not be confused with automatic acceptance of it. One always remains free to accept or reject messages in part or in whole. However, exposure to new or different perspectives can enrich one's own understanding, whether one is in school, at work, or simply conducting one's own life. Hence, I've added this story here. If it's the incorrect forum, it can be moved.