‘There’s no easy time to say hard things’
Delivering Harvard’s Commencement address, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called on the Class of 2014 this afternoon to safeguard free speech and inquiry, rights that he said are under attack both in Washington, D.C., and on college campuses across the country. Bloomberg, who graduated from Harvard Business School in 1966, specifically criticized protests at some universities that have short-circuited graduation speeches by those who hold views that are unpopular with some groups. He also criticized politically motivated efforts to reduce science research funding or quash teaching of controversial topics, such as evolution. Supporting the free debate of opposing views, he said, is “a sacred trust” of universities and the basis of democratic society. “There’s no easy time to say hard things. Never feel reticent to speak what’s right,” Bloomberg urged the graduates. “Do not be complicit. Do not follow the crowd. Speak up and fight back.” As the main address during...