Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

What if Vladimir Putin had really died?

Mar. 18, 2015

Russian President Vladimir Putin hadn’t been seen in public between March 5 and March 15, and it made everyone a little worried. In a world constantly connected by social media and more traditional forms of news, world leaders — including our own President Barack Obama — have become more available to their subjects, at least in terms of their appearance in the public and technological sphere. In this reality, the disappearance of a constantly sought-after public figure becomes even more concerning.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Kylie Jenner’s relationship is a bad example for young girls

Mar. 17, 2015

When it comes to relationships, I usually refrain from passing judgment of any kind. My mindset is: Why judge someone if they are genuinely happy? It’s not up to me to decide if a relationship is right or wrong with regard to age, race or gender. I figure, if two people are happy, let them be happy. But my usually solid stance quivered when a relationship between two celebrities was confirmed last week.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Created Equal failed to change minds

Mar. 17, 2015

Created Equal may “believe what they believe,” but their display was simply inaccurate, inflammatory rhetoric. Their only goal was publicity and they achieved it. One could evoke similar revulsion among viewers by photographing any surgically removed human organ and displaying it, billboard-sized, on a truck. It is immaterial that such beneficial surgeries remove cancerous organs to prolong human life. I doubt their display changed any “thinking” minds. More likely, last week’s stunt merely hardened previously held positions, both pro- and anti-abortion rights, among our campus community and effectively stifled any reasonable debate on campus regarding abortion and the anti-abortion rights movement.

OPINION | COLUMNS

PETA: not a voice for vegans

Mar. 17, 2015

As a sophomore in high school, I educated myself on issues of animal cruelty and meat production in the U.S. After thorough research, I made the decision to change my lifestyle. I adopted a vegetarian diet. I maintained it for the last five years, and fully transitioned to a vegan diet about six months ago. I don’t walk around with a soapbox in hand, ready and willing to talk about my views on animal maltreatment or government-regulated factory farming. I often refrain from even using words like “vegetarian” or “vegan” because they elicit baffled and confused responses that I don’t often have the time or energy to deal with. Clearly, I have strong opinions that motivated me to make a lifestyle change, but I don’t often engage others in conversation about animal rights unless I’m asked a direct question.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Left and right finally agree on Ferguson

Mar. 16, 2015

Since the Department of Justice released its report on the internal practices of the Ferguson Police Department, the national shouting match that erupted repeatedly last year resurfaced — but in a different way.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Oklahoma University's SAE shows we are not removed from segregation

Mar. 16, 2015

This year is already proving to be an important one in regard to race. The narrative this year has been one of simultaneous progression and regression. Around the time of the 50th anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery marches, race is once again a prevalent topic in the news. While a number of media outlets have been celebrating the success of the film based on the Selma-to-Montgomery marches, a more recent news story shows we have not made as much progress as we thought.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Anti-LGBTQ+ bills legalize discrimination

Mar. 16, 2015

As the nation waits for the Supreme Court’s looming decision on marriage equality, some state governments are rushing to enact anti-LGBTQ+ laws.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Let's go to Mars, for science and for America

Mar. 16, 2015

During Spring Break, I took an opportunity to visit our nation’s capital to take in all the history and stories it had to offer. From seeing all the monuments that pay great homage to past presidents, taking tours of buildings like the Capitol and the White House that hold such political significance and facing the blast of snow that caused the federal government to shut down, it was a trip I’ll never forget. I’ll also never forget some of the thoughts that crossed my mind as I explored what could be called a political science major’s playground.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Representation in children’s television important, necessary

Mar. 16, 2015

It’s been a week since our return from Spring Break now, and perhaps the collective misery of going to your 8:30 a.m. class has worn down into a more manageable annoyance.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Iran letter hullabaloo sign of partisan issues

Mar. 15, 2015

Every presidency generates its own controversies. Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration started a civil war. The Reagan administration illegally sold weapons to Iran and used the proceeds to fund a right-wing Guatemalan militia with a fondness for committing war crimes. Bill Clinton holds the unique distinction of having been the first president caught getting blown in the Oval Office.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Created Equal has a constitutional right to demonstrate

Mar. 15, 2015

The reaction to the demonstrations of the Ohio-based, anti-abortion group, Created Equal, when it came to campus Tuesday and Wednesday was overwhelmingly negative. The protesters, angry passers-by and columnists in this newspaper expressed their ill will toward the group and its demonstration. Some students claimed the whole demonstration was ineffective. Others thought it was tasteless.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Darts & Laurels: Morning Joe, SAE and 'the letter'

Mar. 12, 2015

It’s been a tough week transitioning out of Spring Break, but at least the anti-abortion group is gone, right? Here’s your never-has-TGIF-been-so-true edition of

OPINION | COLUMNS

Sexual health is just as important as other issues

Mar. 12, 2015

Welcome back, spring breakers! I hope that by now your hangover has worn off and you’ve started the countdown until summer.

OPINION | COLUMNS

President Obama urges support for Student Aid Bill of Rights

Mar. 12, 2015

In an economy increasingly built on innovation, the most important skill you can sell is your knowledge. That’s why higher education is, more than ever, the surest ticket to the middle class.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Influx of fabricated news leads to misinformed society

Mar. 12, 2015

A poll released this week shows Americans trust Fox News more than any other television news network. The notion that Americans trust Fox more than any other network demonstrates one of two things: Either Americans are very dumb, or the quality of television news across all networks is very poor. Regardless, it demonstrates that the fourth estate needs serious work.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Republican legislators in Arizona not interested in compromise

Mar. 12, 2015

As a political science major, it is my job to understand what motivates political actors to make certain decisions. The natural inclination is to assume that political actors — like, I don’t know, let’s just say the Arizona Legislature — base their decisions on a well-informed, rational basis — or, at the very least, a basic sense of fundamental human decency.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Right on, students who exercised First Amendment rights

Mar. 11, 2015

Wednesday was the second day the so-called “Justice Riders” brought their message to campus. This time, they brought a Jumbotron to the Plaza of the Americas, from which they broadcasted footage of abortion procedures.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Pro-life advocates tactics offensive while ineffective

Mar. 10, 2015

UF’s most unsettling annual tradition rolled into town Tuesday, as anyone who had the displeasure of walking on Turlington Plaza or the Plaza of the Americas knows.

OPINION | COLUMNS

‘Slut’: to reclaim or to make obsolete?

Mar. 10, 2015

“Slut” is a common insult reserved for women who are seen as too sexually permissive, too promiscuous or who dress in a way that might suggest sexuality. In diminishing a woman’s status to that of a “slut,” her worth is minimized to her sexual behavior, and her sexual expression is shamed. Women are famously held to a different sexual standard than men — men are encouraged to engage in frequent casual sex to prove their masculinity, while women who do so are seen as used, tarnished or impure in some way.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Abortion protest: degradation of our academic climate

Mar. 10, 2015

I was profoundly disturbed by the indecent demonstration in the middle of Plaza of the Americas on Tuesday that featured graphic images of aborted fetuses.