Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: ‘Religious liberty’ and the need for dialogue

Apr. 13, 2016

These past few weeks have seen an almost unprecedented movement in state governments across the country attacking LGBTQ+ rights in one way or another. The failed Georgia and successfully passed North Carolina and Mississippi religious liberty bills have caused widespread debate and condemnation across the country. It isn’t new; the respective “bathroom” and “wedding cake” wars have been playing out in state and local governments for the past couple years and have been evermore present since the Supreme Court’s marriage equality decision last summer.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: Florida versus Gov. Rick Scott - shouting back

Apr. 13, 2016

"Floridians have been encouraged to believe that government could take care of us. But government always takes more than it gives back.” —Rick Scott, in his 2011 State of the State address.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: The civil disobedience will not be televised

Apr. 13, 2016

It’s a beautiful world and a wonderful life, but these are also times of great civil unrest. Tensions between civilians and police, institutionalized racism and movements like “Occupy Wall Street” and “Fight for $15” are sobering reminders of such unrest. In light of all this strife, you’d think when a noteworthy example of nonviolent civil disobedience arises, there’d be relentless cable news coverage of it, right? Right?

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: The quest to find a qualified president

Apr. 12, 2016

Over the past few weeks, it appeared as though Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton were about ready to channel a Mortal Kombat-level deathmatch over each other’s qualifications. The fire may have subsided, but many voters, including us Alligator staffers, still wonder: Is either Sanders or Clinton truly qualified to be president? Better yet, what does it mean to be “qualified”?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: My satire fell flat - anybody got a spare?

Apr. 12, 2016

Satire’s funny, right? Well, it can be. Cool, let’s talk about that then. Satire provides commentary through irony — sarcasm, in most cases. And, as I’ve spouted at least twice, irony or “subversion of expectation” is the root of all comedy. Saying one thing and meaning another. Presenting one perception and juxtaposing it with the truth. How much more pretentiously can I describe it? There will always be bigger words in the dictionary; you may as well aim low in that regard.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: 'Deflategate' and draft picks: Football fanaticism can be taken too far

Apr. 12, 2016

In a lawsuit filed last Tuesday, a small group of New England Patriots fans — not the same patriots from 250 years ago — demanded the NFL return the Patriots’ first-round draft pick. The draft pick was taken from the team by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before last season in response to the questionably deflated footballs used by the New England team in the 2015 playoffs.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: Myths Un-Mythed - 'Sandy Hook shame'

Apr. 11, 2016

We live in a world full of myths. Never mind the tales of an undercover spy, or so-called “fairy” (likely Soviet-trained) sneaking into our children’s bedrooms to do Lord knows what with their precious teeth or the tales of a puppet hiding behind his nasal mutation to cover up his habitual dishonesty. No, we want to highlight supposedly truthful claims and offer a reminder of their unfounded foundations.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: American foreign policy begets further terrorism

Apr. 11, 2016

The young couple from Mississippi detained by federal authorities in August has, among other charges, pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support for the Kim Kardashian of radical Islamic militancy: the Islamic State. The aspiring American jihadists shocked and captured the attention of Americans throughout the country.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: Technology, sex and communication - the modern burden of lightness

Apr. 11, 2016

"Everything that is good is light, what is divine runs on delicate feet: first principle of my aesthetic,” declares Nietzsche in “The Case of Wagner.” Paul Valery claims in his notebooks that “(t)he preparation of a work consists of laboriously granting oneself the liberty of executing it lightly.” In his “Six Memos for the New Millennium,” Italo Calvino calls for lightness to combat “the slow petrification” of the world caused by “the inexorable stare of Medusa.”

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: In lieu of losing the loo

Apr. 10, 2016

Bathrooms: For some, they’re a sanctuary of privacy from incessantly annoying roommates. For others, they inspire a frantic cleaning spree before an unexpected visit from mom and dad. But for those in the transgender community, bathrooms represent civil struggle.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: Rick Scott's Gainesville Starbucks altercation is an embarrassment

Apr. 10, 2016

If civility isn’t dead in 2016, it’s pretty close to being put in the ground.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: A few fun facts about insomnia

Apr. 7, 2016

Personal health: the news topic that makes readers go, “Oh, I should start paying attention to that soon,” before moving on to read whatever Ann Coulter recently said about Hispanic people. But unlike Ms. Coulter, disregarding uncomfortable health conditions does not make them go away.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: Diary - forgotten form of expression?

Apr. 7, 2016

I went home recently for the weekend and had a grand time visiting hometown haunts and stuffing my face with home-cooked food. As a college student ready to throw herself into the throes of finals week, there is nothing like a visit home to provide a perfect relaxation boost — as well as a motivation boost. When family members start tentatively asking about grades, and you remember how hard they might have worked to afford to give you this stellar college education and the ability to go for your dreams, I personally rediscover a great motivating force to settling down in the library for a long haul of studying.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts & Laurels: 04/08/2016

Apr. 7, 2016

What a week it’s been, readers. We’ve got presidential candidates throwing shade at one another, Gainesville residents yelling at Florida governors in Starbucks, Star Wars Easter eggs and secrets circling our social media — and oh, yes, finals week rapidly approaching to wreak havoc on our precious grades. But in the meantime, thank you, readers, for tuning into our vain attempt at making sense of the world, our long-winded banter, our latest segment of…

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: The new-new left winged types of people

Apr. 7, 2016

Two weeks ago, noted hacker and white nationalist Andrew Auernheimer decided to access printers across the U.S. and churn out fliers with the following message:

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: Myths Un-Mythed - immigration crime, rape

Apr. 6, 2016

We live in a world full of myths. Never mind the tales of Japanese-animated Italian-American plumbers loading up on mushrooms and picking fights with fire-breathing dinosaurs, nor the tales of an undocumented bunny who can’t keep track of his eggs. (And why do we insist on sending our children to pick up after his mess?) No, what we wish to discuss is the collection of falsehoods so many of us commonly accept as “probably true.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Guest Column: Urge Student Senate to confirm qualified nominees

Apr. 6, 2016

When I became Student Body president, I wanted to make sure that diversity was more than just a checkmark. Because I want to chip away at the racism, classism and discrimination that exists in Student Government — issues that will continue to plague SG going forward.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: In defense of the super delegate system

Apr. 6, 2016

The 2016 primaries have brought an almost endless stream of surprises. Former “outsider” candidates have outlasted most of their well-funded, well-known opponents. As this primary season continually looks like it will be razor-thin, it is clear the most important thing is delegates.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: Cuban MLB team could change things

Apr. 6, 2016

Before he was 15 years old, Jose Fernandez was arrested three times for attempting to flee Cuba. Today, he is an MLB All-Star pitcher for the Miami Marlins.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: Good Life students shouldn't visit Harn

Apr. 5, 2016

In many ways, art could be considered the most important subject. Art expresses ideas and thoughts where words cannot, which is why it transcends any language and stands as its own form of communication. Children learn to draw and use Play-Doh before they can write because art stands at the center of creativity. So it is important UF have an art museum where students can find a source of inspiration when words simply don’t suffice. It’s called the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art.