Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: Florida's death penalty is shameful

Feb. 8, 2016

Judge, jury and executioner: Although this idiom is meant to refer to someone having ultimate power and authority over one’s fate, the legal system of the U.S. is designed in such a way that these three functions are meant to remain relatively distinct and act with a measure of independence from one another. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court found two of these roles to be a little too close for its liking in the case of Hurst v. Florida.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: CDC recommendations are misguided

Feb. 7, 2016

When there is a health crisis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are often looked to as a voice of reason. In light of the movement attempting to link autism to vaccines, the centers heavily emphasized the importance of vaccinations on herd immunity. This past week, they came out with a recommendation that women who are sexually active, but not on birth control, should not drink alcohol because any amount of alcohol could be potentially harmful. The CDC reasoned, “Why take the risk?”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: Make the most of UF - find a mentor

Feb. 7, 2016

As I near the end of my undergraduate career, lots of young people — I guess “young-er people” would be more accurate — have come to me asking for advice.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: The illusions we look to uphold as travelers

Feb. 7, 2016

"It is lack of imagination that makes us come to imagined places, not just stay at home?”

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: Don't be a Ted Cruz

Feb. 7, 2016

Here at the Alligator, we’re often accused of being a bastion of frightful liberal bias. We like to think we’re just empathetic to the less fortunate and are willing to call current events and public figures as we see them, but hey, to each their own.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: With the dominance of Abrahamic religion, atheism is important too

Feb. 4, 2016

A solemn recollection of what dominated the headlines of major tabloids in 2015 and in the last few months reveals a rather unpleasant truth that may have eluded some of us: Humanity has taken a thorough beating.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: Failure - it's inevitable, fortunately

Feb. 4, 2016

As the first wave of exams arrives just in time to slug every UF student’s grades, time and sleep habits, now seems as good a time as any to mention it may be time to slow down.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: Sanders' Iowa performance sends a message

Feb. 4, 2016

As of Monday, Iowans wrapped up the first stage of the presidential election — the first bit of the process that isn’t merely grandstanding. These are hard numbers, numbers that matter: numbers representing real human beings who will appoint each party’s candidate.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts & Laurels: 02/05/2016

Feb. 4, 2016

Friday: Great day of the week, or greatest? Friday is the day the shackles of the 9-to-5 workday are temporarily lifted from our weary limbs, and we are free to do whatever craft, hedonistic activity or rejuvenating escape we see fit to pursue. It is also, of course, the day we run Darts & Laurels, which is not only our gift to the city of Gainesville, but presents a weekly opportunity for us to work through our unresolved and conflicted feelings on the events that transpired during the week. With that far too confessional and revealing introduction out of the way, it’s time for… Darts & Laurels

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: The Grammys don't necessarily equal success

Feb. 3, 2016

Several weeks ago, a comprehensive list of this year’s Grammy nominations was released. Despite having a nice array of talented artists present, I had to stop scrolling once the words “Taylor” and “Swift” became engrained in my retinas due to sheer overexposure.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: What Iowa means for the road ahead

Feb. 3, 2016

At the time of writing, it has been less than 24 hours since the results of the Iowa caucus were released. Although the results proved interesting, Iowa is far from the final arbiter of the primary process.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Guest Column: Sanders - the 'cowardly' candidate?

Feb. 3, 2016

Several days ago, a column published in this paper accused those who support Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for the Democratic nomination of being “lazy and cowardly.” Now, being a Sanders supporter — there goes my shot at ever being a public servant — sure, I do not necessarily see myself as brave. I get scared of simple things, like heights, clowns and people with two first names, like Taylor Scott, Jennifer Lawrence or Zachary Lee. But cowardly? I’ll have you know I once had a bowl of nails for breakfast. Without any milk.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: Diversity of books is very important

Feb. 2, 2016

As a child, I was fortunate enough to grow up in a household in which a strong emphasis was put on reading. I still remember dragging book after book up to my grandmother, pointing imperiously to the title and energetically demanding she read to me.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: In support of the term 'Ebonics'

Feb. 2, 2016

It is readily observable that distinct groups of people within any context speak in distinct ways, to varying extents. Different groups use a “standard” national language to communicate within a national context and may use a different language within specific ethnic groups, tribes and families.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: Clicker points are pointless in our education

Feb. 2, 2016

The recent trend of clicker questions in lecture halls has caught on to the point where they are now used in just about every general education course. While the most conventional form at UF is through H-ITT clickers, professors will also use websites such as Learning Catalytics and Top Hat to allow students to answer questions posed in class.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: Facebook leads the way in gun reform

Feb. 1, 2016

Disciples of the Second Amendment have been snubbed. The world’s largest social network took defining steps in the arduous effort for reasonable gun control Saturday. Facebook announced it would be banning users from coordinating private, person-to-person sales of guns on its website as well as through Instagram, though licensed gun dealers and gun clubs will not be affected by the company’s action. (Phew! Thank you, Jesus.)

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: Why do we care about current events?

Feb. 1, 2016

This past weekend I found myself in an all-too-familiar situation involving a labored conversation, the hole I talked myself into and an unsuccessful attempt to escape. I was partially to blame for this predicament, as I had broken one of the unspoken cardinal rules of social gatherings: Don’t discuss politics with someone you just met.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: Gene editing makes us uneasy

Feb. 1, 2016

In “Jurassic Park,” Jeff Goldblum — that most semitic of stallions — plays Dr. Ian Malcolm, a charismatic yet somewhat grating mathematician. Brought to the titular park to assess any possible dangers or shortcomings, he eventually gets into an intense argument with John Hammond, the park’s creator, over the ethical and economic concerns behind resurrecting murderous, ancient creatures and parading them around in the name of capitalism and entertainment. After Hammond defends his work for representing a profound achievement in scientific progress, Malcolm offers the following iconic rejoinder: “Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Column: The future of 'The Daily Show' is strong

Feb. 1, 2016

I tend to focus my column on serious political and social issues, but for the sake of incorporating some occasional variety, I’d like to commit this week’s piece to a more lighthearted topic very dear to my heart: “The Daily Show.”

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: Dozier represents US at its worst

Jan. 31, 2016

As journalists, it is our obligation to maintain a cool head when parsing through information and drafting a story. Although we in the Opinions section are not held to the same standards of objectivity as the rest of the paper, it is still up to us to collect and pore over as much information as possible; whether our findings align with our worldview, it remains our job to share and dissect what we may stumble upon in a comprehensive manner.