Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Reality TV — looking at you, Duck Dynasty — is glorifying redneck stereotypes

Sep. 29, 2013

Attention TV fanatics of America: the Kardashians have been officially dethroned by a new family of reality royals. The fellas of “Duck Dynasty” made history in August when their season 4 premiere became the most-watched reality telecast of all time. They had 11.8 million viewers, topping even the popular competition show “America’s Got Talent.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

There's nothing wrong with Starbucks banning guns

Sep. 26, 2013

Have you ever given a child a piece of candy and told them not to show it to their siblings?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Government needs to be more transparent about bad-for-everyone drone war

Sep. 25, 2013

Headlines abound with the humanitarian crisis in Syria, with our very own president at the forefront of denouncing the apparent human rights violations in the region.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Trickle-down ethics: We need to be human

Sep. 24, 2013

Last week, this plea from an 8-year-old kid from North Carolina surfaced online:

OPINION | COLUMNS

Guest column: Meatless Monday on campus represents a positive movement

Sep. 23, 2013

President Bill Clinton, once known for his love of fast food, has been making headlines for his recent dietary changes. He’s swapped the Big Macs, chicken nuggets and fried shrimp for veggie burgers, beans, and fresh fruits and vegetables. After years of battling heart problems — even undergoing quadruple bypass surgery — Clinton took his doctor’s advice to reduce his meat consumption and increase his intake of plant-based foods. He reports that the results have been tremendous: losing 24 pounds, feeling more energetic and seeing a welcome drop in cholesterol levels.

OPINION | COLUMNS

America misses the mark when it comes to guns

Sep. 23, 2013

Last week, the Washington Navy Yard incident was the latest mass shooting to plague our country. Other shootings on this list include Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook Elementary School and the Aurora movie theater massacre.

OPINION | COLUMNS

There are better ways to react to terrorism

Sep. 23, 2013

The Washington Navy Yard shooting is one more dash of salt in the open wound of 2013. There have been at least 17 mass shootings since the attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School in December of 2012, making it impossible to ignore the obvious need for changes in legislation surrounding gun control.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Prove them wrong, let GOP pass everything

Sep. 22, 2013

Last week, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to cut nearly $40 billion from the country’s food stamps programs over the next 10 years. It was a huge slap in the face to millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table. Fortunately, the bill will die a quick death in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Guest column: Starbucks serving it cold, asking customers to leave guns at home

Sep. 22, 2013

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz wrote an open letter to customers earlier this week requesting gun owners not bring their firearms when they pick up their morning latte.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Did the NYT make the right choice publishing terrorist attack photos?

Sep. 22, 2013

A journalist’s job is to seek truth. Sometimes, that truth can be uncomfortable or shocking. In tragic events like Saturday’s shooting in Nairobi, Kenya, reality is simply horrifying.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Public perception of Obama will plummet

Sep. 19, 2013

Often, leaders are remembered for their failures rather than their accomplishments.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The latest Republican attempt at sabotaging Obamacare

Sep. 17, 2013

Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s signature health care law in March 2010, Republicans at all levels of government have made every effort to weaken and sabotage the law.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Lessons from "Fahrenheit 451": Why burning Qurans is a big deal

Sep. 17, 2013

Terry Jones’ insatiable hunger for the media’s spotlight was briefly fed last week when news of his arrest broke.

OPINION | COLUMNS

On Constitution Day, we must remember that America is still pretty exceptional

Sep. 16, 2013

On Sept. 17, 1787 the Constitution of the United States was signed by 38 delegates during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The death of college dating by hookup culture

Sep. 16, 2013

The college-dating scene seems to be a culture of not-quite-caring — an awkward landscape pocked with holes and valleys that trip us up on the way to understanding our relationships. Try drafting one text to the dime from last weekend. The metaphor will crystallize pretty quickly when you find yourself eight drafts deep and still unsure of what to say.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Some lessons don't quite translate for U.S.'s immigrant deportation program

Sep. 15, 2013

The phrase sounds better in Spanish, the way I heard it first: “Amor con hambre no dura.” “Hungry love doesn’t last.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Guest column: Business program in Gainesville is disappointing

Sep. 12, 2013

Imagine a program that promised the opportunity to change your life: the opportunity to work side by side with some of Gainesville’s most successful business leaders in creating a mock company. Imagine — after applying to more places than you can count, going on interview after interview and struggling to find a job much less a living wage — that someone offered you the chance to change your career path. Then, imagine the bad news: that for no logical or rational reason, 25 percent of you would be randomly and summarily rejected.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Guest column: No 9/11 recognition: Is Firehouse Subs a scam?

Sep. 12, 2013

Like most Americans, I am able to vividly recall the events that took place 12 years ago. It was my last year of high school, and a friend and I decided to leave study hall to hang out in the library.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Despite what Obama says, intervention in Syria is necessary and inevitable

Sep. 12, 2013

In his speech on Tuesday, President Barack Obama argued that the United States is not the global police force.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The NSA can now exploit and crack your data — what do you have to hide?

Sep. 11, 2013

We’re on the verge of a second civil war.