Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

The anti-hero of our times – fo’ real

By Hassan Casanova | Oct. 21, 2010

The word “inspiration” is usually thrown into the ring when discussing influential politicians, successful singers and recognized authors. These choice individuals typically inspire others to follow in their footsteps and make a path similar to their own. Well, obviously, when I think of inspiration only one person comes to mind: Antoine Dodson.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Acceptance a slow and individual process

By Nate Rushing | Oct. 20, 2010

UF student Nirav N. Patel was quoted Wednesday as saying “I feel like we’re still segregated here. It sucks being in an old southern school.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Public education mars America’s desire for greatness

By Brian Amos | Oct. 19, 2010

If you’ve done as much study of the Founding Fathers as I have, one fact starts to stick out time and again: none was the product of public education. That’s right, the greatest men of American history were all schooled either in the rooms of a private institution or by the best teacher in the world: real life.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The day the (Rock 104) music died

By Sean Quinn | Oct. 19, 2010

Feb. 3, 1959. July 12, 1979. And now, Oct. 15, 2010. What do all three of these dates have in common? They’re all considered days when the music died.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Tragedy reminds people of the importance of accepting others

By Ashton Charles | Oct. 18, 2010

As students, we should each take the opportunity to learn a lesson of acceptance and civility from the recent tragedy at Rutgers University.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Columnist examines sports gender roles

Oct. 18, 2010

This football season has been creating excellent opportunities to examine the role of women in male locker rooms, but the way the NFL backpedaled from a series of teachable moments is both superficial and predictable.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Capital punishment is cruel and unusual

By Chris Dodson | Oct. 16, 2010

An eye for an eye.

OPINION | COLUMNS

In last decade, society has developed case of ‘sexual ADD’

By Carter Lyles | Oct. 14, 2010

A unique schism has developed in the world of the post-modern relationship, a schism that has brought a veritable role reversal to the previously established and socially-accepted positions of the genders.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The Rewards and Responsibilities of 21

By Hassan Casanova | Oct. 14, 2010

Have you ever woken up after a night of drinking with mysterious scratches everywhere? No? Yeah, me either….

OPINION | COLUMNS

Columnist discusses UF ‘mediocrity’

By Nate Rushing | Oct. 13, 2010

Let’s have a big round of applause for mediocrity, UF’s new area of excellence. After watching Saturday’s game, I was struck with a dilemma: Where will I now derive my pride in my choice of higher learning?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Life is hard for those with HIV/AIDS

By Jessica Drew | Oct. 13, 2010

“Life isn’t fair!” says the 15-year-old girl whose parents just told her she couldn’t go to a birthday party because of a bad grade. “Life isn’t fair!” says the college student who can’t go out with his friends because of a 10-page paper due the next day that he hasn’t started. “Life isn’t fair!” says the wife at home who has to take care of her two kids and work on a proposal for her job. Well I’ll tell you whose life isn’t fair: the life of an individual suffering from HIV/AIDS — especially one in a low-income state.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Columnist: Dylan is a man of the ages

By Sean Quinn | Oct. 12, 2010

Last week, I mused on why Florida needs to get on the ball when it comes to decriminalizing marijuana, and I attended the Bob Dylan concert with thousands of other fans at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Some would like to use that anecdotal evidence to further their claims of me as a “stoner.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

A schleppy superhero for our time

Oct. 11, 2010

Our society has been picking straws for years in the superhero department, forced to borrow champions of yore and update them to the modern era.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Only voters have reasons to complain

By Chris Dodson | Oct. 10, 2010

Despite what you might have been told, voting in midterm elections does matter.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Parenting the root of intolerance, evil

By Hassan Casanova | Oct. 7, 2010

So maybe it’s time to address the pink elephant in the column. I know readers have speculated, and, yes, my last name is Italian.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Consider this while fighting boredom

By Bryan Griffin | Oct. 6, 2010

Editor's note on 10/8/10: This column has been taken down. The original column ran in Thursday's edition, but our readers pointed out a Reddit article with references too similar to Griffin's writing. We apologize for the inconvenience.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Florida should decriminalize marijuana

By Sean Quinn | Oct. 5, 2010

Katy Perry was right. In California, the grass is always greener. And as of last week, getting caught with an ounce or less of grass won’t get you jail time, it will only get you a $100 fine and a citation. For those playing at home, that’s about three days of parking citations from UF and less than one citation for using a duplicate decal.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Negligence caused gay suicides

By Sterling Davenport | Oct. 4, 2010

I am furious and cannot keep silent any longer. For those who are not aware, there has been a series of suicides over the last few weeks with a common theme: people who were being harassed for their sexuality. We all (or at least should) remember Matthew Shepard, the gay student at the University of Wyoming who was brutally beaten and left on a split-rail fence in the middle of nowhere to die.

OPINION | COLUMNS

‘Teen Mom’ signals demise of America

Oct. 4, 2010

Everybody with cable TV and a proclivity toward captivating car-wreck television has an opinion on the sorta-famous young mothers on MTV’s “Teen Mom,” but this week marks the first time police started a case against someone based solely on what the baby momma did on MTV.

OPINION | COLUMNS

President biased in his media views

By Chris Dodson | Oct. 3, 2010

The apparent source of all evil has been called out again by President Obama, and I’m not talking about the Georgia Bulldogs.