Opinion | Editorials - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Re: Rights: Accuracy can prevent trivial technicalities

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Dec. 7, 2009

“You have the right — in your anxious and confused state — to try to figure out what rights you may or may not have by deciphering the ambiguous statement I am currently reading in a robot-like voice — as if my true intentions are not to inform you of anything, but rather to show my disdain for civil liberties and humanity in general.”

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Fake Tans & Flip-Flops

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Dec. 7, 2009

Our glowing governor, Charlie Crist, is bent on convincing Floridians that his ultra-conservative views will save the country from financial ruin.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Road Rebel: Confederate plate no debate for state

Dec. 6, 2009

As it turns out, the longest battle of the Civil War was not Gettysburg, or Marietta, or Yorktown.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

'Mock' Trial

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Dec. 6, 2009

Italy’s courts threw the book at American college student Amanda Knox on Saturday, sentencing her to 26 years in prison for murdering her British roommate.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Darts & Laurels

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Dec. 3, 2009

So you’re finally ready to dump all the knowledge you (hopefully) absorbed over the semester in a cathartic flurry of finals, term papers and unnecessarily harsh “Rate My Professors” rants?

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Indian Burn: American Indians need health care reform

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Dec. 2, 2009

The health care system that American Indians rely on is a patchwork of half measures and empty promises.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

D-U-Idiot: UF's prominent figures should set example

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Dec. 1, 2009

Carlos Dunlap, Gators star defensive end, looks sad, resigned, and a little pathetic in a mug shot taken early Tuesday morning after police arrested him on one count of DUI.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Blind Faith: U.S. should remain skeptical about troop increases

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Dec. 1, 2009

In his Tuesday night speech, President Barack Obama outlined his strategy for the war in Afghanistan.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Fool's flu: UF shouldn't require medical notes for exams

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Dec. 1, 2009

Your mother’s incessant nagging is no longer the best reason to get a flu vaccine. Now it’s grade concerns that will push students into the vaccine lines. (Let’s face it — health worries are never on the top of the list.)

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Premium Price: Taxpayers shouldn’t pay for lawmakers’ insurance

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Nov. 30, 2009

While Florida lawmakers and top state employees are criticizing Congress’ efforts to extend health care to more poor people, they have fought to protect an entitlement of their own: free insurance premiums.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Bad Blood: FDA should not restrict gay men from donating

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Nov. 29, 2009

If you’ve just been in a horrible car accident and you’re bleeding to death on a surgeon’s table, would you refuse a blood transfusion from a gay man?

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Darts & Laurels

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Nov. 24, 2009

The mass turkey exodus seems to begin earlier each year. Judging by the surprisingly low volume of angry letters in our inbox Tuesday, it looks like most of our faithfully vengeful readers have already flown the coop. We feel abandoned. Because campus is quiet enough to hear our hearts break at this shortage of students to enrage, we’re happy to present you with a we’ll-have-to-be-twice-as-offensive-to-make-up-for-the-difference edition of...

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Preachy Keen: ACLU is right to defend church’s freedom of speech

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Nov. 23, 2009

When the Dove World Outreach Center, a local church, chose its name, the story of Noah must have come to mind.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Party Poopers: On health care, Democrat defectors better left alone

Nov. 22, 2009

On Saturday night, the Senate voted to move health care legislation to the floor for debate in a close party-line vote of 60 to 39.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Poison the Well: Lobbyists do more harm than good by opposing regulations

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Nov. 22, 2009

Last week, a federal judge in Tallahassee approved a settlement in an environmental suit that requires the EPA to set nutrient limits for lakes, streams and creeks in Florida.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Darts & Laurels

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Nov. 19, 2009

Last week was unusually slow for the Department of Darts and Laurels. In light of this, we made a (desperate?) plea for Gators to go out and make some real news. While we doubt that the overwhelming response was due entirely to the public pity party we held for ourselves last week, we think it helped. So now, inundated with news, we would like to present you with a be-careful-what-you-wish-for edition of:

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Fee-for-All: SG should get student input on new Reitz fee

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Nov. 18, 2009

Tuesday’s Student Government vote on the proposed Reitz Union expansion has stirred up almost as much interest (and as many impassioned letters and Web site comments) as SG’s pending decision on a resolution denouncing the Goldstone report, the controversial UN report alleging Israeli war crimes.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Mammogram guidelines should follow international standard

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Nov. 17, 2009

Conservative horror stories about Obamacare run amok are finally coming true in the minds of some.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Privacy should be given greater value

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Nov. 17, 2009

Several weeks ago, I showed up to my friend Katie’s house to watch TV.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Congress should end travel restrictions to Cuba

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Nov. 17, 2009

This week, Congress is taking up the issue of the Cuba travel ban, part of an embargo started against the communist country in 1960. For nearly 50 years, it has been effectively illegal for Americans to travel to Cuba.