TO THE EDITOR:
We write to express our support for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as our spring commencement speaker. And we challenge the narrative against Bloomberg embodied by the petition to revoke his invitation.
Bloomberg exemplifies the mobility that should be open to all individuals of merit. He had a modest upbringing. He financed his education working jobs and taking loans. And he became a successful financier and entrepreneur, founding a global financial news network that professionals and laypeople alike look to for market developments.
In government, he’s been successful and popular. Notably, he espouses a pragmatic political leadership in a time of deep ideological division.
With respect to the Occupy movement, we side squarely with Bloomberg. We don’t support police brutality — we firmly believe any instances of egregious behavior by police should be punished. But we support the eviction of the Occupy encampment in principle. Occupy laudably raised issues of inequality and crony capitalism. Having accomplished that, it’s now hardly a “movement” — it’s inertia. Its protesters effectively privatize public spaces. They claim to represent “the people” by fiat alone. No one — no group — has a right to do this.
We are glad Zuccotti Park is free again for New Yorkers, thanks to Bloomberg. Moreover, we would welcome a return of our own Peace and Justice Plaza to the rest of the public who isn’t squatting there. And we look forward to hearing Mayor Bloomberg’s address, which he is graciously giving gratis, in May 2012.
Cameron Parker
Senior
Economics, Public Policy
Ken Jameson
Senior
Business, Economics
