Mass shootings have become so frequent it is difficult to keep track of them. With the San Bernardino shooting, the U.S. has seen 355 shootings this year according to The Washington Post. What distinguishes this shooting from the rest of them is the shooters’ association with the terror group Daesh.
Well, finals are now upon us. As many of you grab your face and cover your mouth in disbelief, curl your hair, bite your nails or indulge in other popular nervous habits of choice, take refuge in the knowledge that we’re still here, and yes, Darts & Laurels is still around to provide comfort to the afflicted.
Toward the end of my freshman year, I decided to switch my major to economics. I found its unique blend of social science and math fascinating, and I was excited to pursue a degree in it. When I told one of my friends in the College of Engineering about my decision, he laughed at me. "Economics?" he said. "What a joke. You should pick something that matters if you want to get a job someday." I nodded and smiled while making a mental note to demote him from "friend" to "mild acquaintance."
On Monday morning, I read a piece in this very section by Michael Beato, a genuinely great guy with a stronger grip on style and common sense than I could ever hope for. I have a lot of respect for him, a sentiment made stronger by the fact we hardly ever agree on anything political. I haven’t had too many conversations with the guy, but, based on previous experience, I’d much rather spend an hour — or even an afternoon — shooting the political shit with Michael than any college Democrat in the area.
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.
Solutions by The State News
