In January 2014, I walked into the Alligator office for its open house. I was a sophomore at the time, and I went straight to the then-opinions editor with, "I’d like to write a sex column."
Following Wednesday’s shooting in San Bernardino, California, The Washington Post published a piece aggregating data collected in recent years regarding America’s ongoing gun crisis. Collected for your perusal, here is some of the data we found the most interesting, presented without comment.
If you are even remotely interested in a career path that involves the written word on paper — journalist, writer, librarian, editor, etc. — this has probably happened to you.
Our favorite thing to tell toddlers is how unique they are, that each and every one of them is a special snowflake. Although they are each made of the same stuff, ice and air, their bodies, personalities and experiences are individualized. Then, for the lives of a good half of them, we find ways to make them feel less so.
Ricky Bobby: I did just like you told me: "If you ain’t first, you’re last!"
"And you touch me and I’m like…ooh ooh" — "Empire" by Shakira.
On Tuesday, the animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere released an exposé of a top-rated Whole Foods turkey supplier that found thousands of birds in cramped, filthy sheds with open sores and crippled legs. This investigation confirms my personal experience searching for "humane" animal products: When you look behind the closed doors of animal agriculture, you will find violence and cruelty that companies strive to keep hidden from the public.
Do you know someone who could tell you the capital of Venezuela? Or someone who knows where Iraq is on a map? It would be extremely difficult to find an average American who could point out more than two African countries on a map, if even that. On the other hand, I’m sure it would be easy to find someone who not only knows where France or Germany are located, but also wants to visit one of these countries.
This editorial isn’t going to be about the need for greater gun control, seeing as it is redundant, worn and torn territory. You, the readers, already know the details: a white, male gunman on the fringes of society. A specifically chosen location. Innocent lives lost and wounded. A mass shooting in Colorado.
With Thanksgiving now in the rearview mirror and the weight of finals looming heavily over us all, we students will likely degrade into a cluster of anxiety as opposed to reminiscing fondly on this past holiday.
As we all reveled in Thanksgiving Break by taking endless pictures of our dogs, skillfully dodging questions about our futures and binging on relaxation, something else loomed eminent on the horizon. Interspersed among social media proclamations of being #thankful were posts of a much different nature. It was "FSU Hate Week," and there was no escape.
The possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1. The odds of an American being killed in a terrorist attack (including terrorist attacks carried out overseas) are 1 in 20 million. C-3PO enlightened us with the former cosmic fact in 1980, while The Washington Post gave us the latter just two years ago. Despite the data, more than most on the campaign trail, including plenty who hold power in Washington, D.C., vie for further increases in discretionary spending for defense and cite the threat of terrorism (specifically attacks carried out by radical jihadists) as the primary reason for this necessity.
If you had the good fortune (or misfortune, take your pick) of tuning into CNN this past weekend, there are strong odds you were treated to its advert for the upcoming Republican debate on Dec. 15.
Say what you will of the political right, but at least they are politically consistent. From the decrepit-moderate branch to the slow-people bible study group that controls the most powerful country in the world, Republicans just want to hurt people. Jeb Bush is fine with "stuff" happening to the poor and disadvantaged, and Ted Cruz needs women to suffer for their chromosomal sins. Our left doesn’t know what it wants, especially in our generation, and it only wants to point out the ideological sins of its compatriots.
In keeping with Florida’s tradition as a gun-friendly state, the Legislature is now preparing a bill that would allow concealed weapons on college campuses. Legislation like House Bill 4001 has been batted around every so often in the Florida House and Senate. For some reason or another, it always fails to become law. Now, signs indicate it might pass the chambers and actually make it to Gov. Rick Scott’s desk.
Last week, a White Student Union page was created on Facebook under UF's name. Most of the posts allege UF doesn’t have enough safe spaces for European American students whose culture is not celebrated enough. While it’s not patently clear if the page is a hoax or if it was actually created by UF students who believe such fiction, it is very apparent the page has become a hub for racist messaging and posts that stoke fear about whites as the minority.
Late Sunday evening, the Facebook feeds of many UF students became inundated with cries of outrage and disbelief over the purported existence of an exciting, new student organization: the University of Florida White Students Union! With a profile picture proudly showing off Century Tower and a cover photo showing the Founding Fathers signing the Declaration of Independence, the page for this totally real and not at all fictitious group claims on its "About" page that it represents "a place to celebrate the very beautiful European culture," and wants to "encourage you to preserve your heritage by sharing it and discussing its future."
The sexual violence on college campuses is not an issue that can be swept under the rug. Universities have served as the focal point for media coverage, awareness campaigns and congressional legislation in the discussion about sexual assault, regardless of whether they help or hinder the issue at hand. We’ve all experienced some offshoot of this, whether it was through last year’s Walk Safe program, the Interfraternity Council’s "It’s On Us" campaign or UF’s Sexual Assault Awareness month.
In light of the Charlie Hebdo shootings this past January, and the recent attacks in Paris, many have reacted by painting Islam and the Middle East as being fundamentally at odds with Western values such as free speech.
America is not and will never be a Christian nation.
Solutions by The State News
