Opinion | Editorials - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | EDITORIALS

We applaud GPD for its respectful stance

July 31, 2017

On July 28, Gainesville Police spoke out against police brutality and their take on the flippant remarks made by President Donald Trump regarding the issue. During a speech made in Long Island, New York, the president spoke to local police officers about MS-13, a local gang. One piece of advice he had for the officers was “Please don’t be too nice” to crime suspects.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Trump’s proposed ban is unconstitutional

July 26, 2017

The one good thing we have to say about a Trump presidency is that it keeps Americans on their toes. We’ve learned to be ready for anything, and at this point, there isn’t much left that can surprise us. However, just because we are used to the constant bewilderment we’ve been facing, it doesn’t mean we are OK with it.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Fall is coming. Revive the freshman in you.

July 24, 2017

This week, we thought it would be nice to take a quick breather from the usual political commentary the editorial section is home to. Instead, with Fall semester just around the corner, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on how lucky we all are to be a part of The Gator Nation and to appreciate how great it is to be a Florida Gator.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

America needs to get rid of closed primaries

July 19, 2017

As we’re sure you are aware, Florida is a closed primary state. This means that in order to vote in a primary election, Florida residents must be registered with a political party. It also means in the primaries, they are only be able to vote for candidates running for a position within their registered party. In general elections, however, they are able to vote for any candidate in any party.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Charlie Gard deserves to end his life out of the public eye

July 17, 2017

In recent weeks, controversy has swirled around an 11-month-old baby boy from the U.K.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Liberals aren’t whiners, they are warriors

July 12, 2017

Liberals too often have been dubbed whiners, complainers and malcontents. This is something that has become especially frequent after the last presidential election.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

What you’re really saying when you proudly wear the Confederate flag

July 10, 2017

Last weekend, in Charlottesville, Virginia, members and supporters of the Ku Klux Klan protested the Charlottesville City Council’s decision to remove a statue honoring Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The rally was met with even more protesters denouncing the antiquated beliefs of the KKK.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Politicians need to chill out on Twitter

July 5, 2017

As President Donald Trump gained popularity, the informational canal politicians use to reach the American people changed. Instead of news briefings, professional interviews and dignified speeches, politicians have turned to Twitter as their main form of communication with their constituents.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Wealthy Republicans have no idea that it costs money to stay alive

June 28, 2017

Twenty-two million. Over the next two decades, 22 million Americans are expected to lose their health insurance under the proposed U.S. Senate Republican health care bill.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

The Philando Castile verdict has made a mockery of the criminal justice system

June 26, 2017

On Friday, Jeronimo Yanez, the Minnesota police officer who fatally shot Philando Castile during a traffic stop last year, was found not guilty of second-degree manslaughter.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

There is danger in “improving” relations with North Korea

June 14, 2017

On Tuesday, news outlets disclosed that American college student, Otto Warmbier, had finally been released after more than 17 months in detention in North Korea. According to Warmbier’s parents, he is currently in a coma after he contracted botulism, a paralyzing nerve toxin, and is still in “bad shape.”

OPINION | EDITORIALS

College students can’t be perfect all the time and that’s perfectly OK

June 12, 2017

Something we’ve noticed about UF students is that they all have a common undying need to succeed.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Should police track your phone without a warrant?

June 7, 2017

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will answer that question in an upcoming term, ultimately deciding whether law enforcement authorities should be required to get a warrant before they can track your location through your cellphone records.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

The real impacts of America leaving the Paris climate agreement

June 5, 2017

In case you missed it, our naive commander in chief chose to make the U.S. one of three countries in the world not aligned with the Paris climate agreement.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

There is no such thing as a ‘bad feminist’

May 31, 2017

Someone has to say it, so it might as well be us: There is no such thing as a “bad feminist.”

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Don’t use social media to let terrorists win

May 29, 2017

The goal of terrorism is clear. Just as their name suggests, terrorists want us — those living in the free world — to live in a state of constant terror. They want us to question whether it’s safe to do things like travel, go to work or go to a concert. The simple liberties we take for granted each day are what they are after.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Will impeaching Trump change anything?

May 24, 2017

It’s been a wild week for President Donald Trump’s administration. For the first time since Election Day, many of us received a news notification that didn’t make us feel sick to our stomachs or look into the process of becoming a Canadian citizen. The word “impeachment” flooded headlines early last week, and it filled some of our hearts with hope.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

The Alligator to adjust circulation starting in August

By Molly Vossler | May 23, 2017

To our readers, who never go unappreciated: As I’m sure you’re all aware, in life, change is inevitable. Every second of every day, our world is changing. The U.S., the state of Florida, the city of Gainesville and UF: all changing. For more than 100 years, we at the Independent Florida Alligator have prided ourselves in the strong connection we’ve made with the community by printing stories that you can pluck out of an orange box and hold in your hands on any given weekday in the Fall and Spring. Whether it’s delivering breaking news or colorful feature stories, we have always been there for you. That is something that will not change and never will. However, the way that community members, UF students and faculty receive and read the news is changing, and we recognize this. The pace of our world continues to quicken, and the speed at which our community consumes news is increasing as well. To better accommodate your needs, dear reader, we must make some relatively dramatic changes. And so, although the Alligator will always deliver news to our readers when they need it most, we will only print our physical paper three times a week during the Fall and Spring semesters: Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Dear Mr. President, we deserve better

May 17, 2017

We wouldn’t exactly call it a surprise that President Donald Trump is a less than trustworthy commander in chief. His entire campaign leading up to his victory was filled with verbal falsehoods that spewed out of his mouth like pellets out of a revolver. Within a few months of his campaign, lying appeared to be second nature to the giant Cheeto vying for control of our country.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Are we inching closer to World War III?

May 15, 2017

There are few things more terrifying than the unknown of a nuclear war. The simple press of a button could wipe out entire countries — entire continents.