Michael Bloomberg remarked that college's "whole purpose" is "to learn how to deal with difficult situations — not to run away from them." | Getty Bloomberg booed as he rips college 'safe spaces'

The University of Michigan's spring commencement was certainly no "safe space" for Michael Bloomberg.

The former mayor of New York City used part of his address to graduates over the weekend in Ann Arbor to blast the idea of "safe spaces" and other coddling of college students as a "terrible mistake" on the part of college administrations.


"The fact that some university boards and administrations now bow to pressure and shield students from these ideas through 'safe spaces,' 'code words' and 'trigger warnings' is, in my view, a terrible mistake," Bloomberg said, drawing a smattering of boos and some applause.

Bloomberg remarked that college's "whole purpose" is "to learn how to deal with difficult situations — not to run away from them."

"A microaggression is exactly that: micro," he said. "And one of the most dangerous places on a college campus is a safe space, because it creates the false impression that we can isolate ourselves from those who hold different views."

"We can't, and we shouldn't, try — not in politics and not in the workplace," he said.

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