Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | EDITORIALS

UF alumni scuffle over medical marijuana, political influence

Feb. 24, 2015

Today marks the end of Student Government elections for this semester, and while it’s easily been the one of the most entertaining ones on record, we feel like it’s time to step back and talk about something else for a change. Considering this is Florida, we’d have to be incredibly unlucky to go a day without a scandalous story going by, especially if it has to do with in-state political maneuvers.

OPINION | COLUMNS

'Radical Brownies' troop gives hope for the next generation

Feb. 24, 2015

Some believe that much of the prejudices that plague our society stem from older generations, whose “traditional” values are more often the thinly veiled discriminatory attitudes of a less tolerant time. Younger generations are so much more liberal-minded that the “activist college student” stigma is now a tired cliche. Baby Boomers sometimes paint this trend as a passing fad, a collegiate trend that fades with age and, supposedly, wisdom. This dismissive mindset is patronizing, and I find the most likely explanation in the positive correlation between a college education and social liberalism. Younger generations aren’t trendy activists; they’re educated, inclusive and tolerant. The leaders of social justice are continually getting younger, but they are no less aware or invested in the causes they champion.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Midterms and their stresses: Spring Break is almost here

Feb. 24, 2015

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OPINION | COLUMNS

Choose public health over personal beliefs: Get vaccinated

Feb. 23, 2015

Last week, Andrew Silver wrote a column in which he argued that veganism should be considered a religion so that vegans would have a civil right to refuse vaccinations. While I appreciate Silver’s interesting perspective on the issue, his column failed to address crucial aspects about vaccinations and the value they hold in our society.

OPINION | CARTOONS

New media is actually dressed-up, old media

Feb. 23, 2015

We live with the entirety of human knowledge and history in our pockets. We live in a dynamic, flexible time in which a person can communicate with anyone in the world on the Internet. Our lives are constantly changing with technology that is produced at a high rate. But, with regard to entertainment, it seems the more things change, the more they stay the same.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The Oscars was a flop; in desperate need for progress, equality

Feb. 23, 2015

Who else watched Neil Patrick Harris flaunt his body live on TV on Sunday night?

OPINION | COLUMNS

We're closer than ever to past and present, and yet further removed

Feb. 22, 2015

Last week I got the opportunity to experience something few students do in their time here at UF: Library East.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

This week's Dart & Laurels: Hip-hop, AP history and guns

Feb. 19, 2015

Between the general cold, gray raininess, cramming for midterms and the contentious Student Government season, this week has been a real bitch. We’re glad it’s finally coming to an end, which means it’s time for this week’s

OPINION | COLUMNS

Mid-semester slump hurting work ethic

Feb. 19, 2015

Good writing emerges from honesty. The written word, or at least written word worth reading, should be a reflection of the writer’s innermost anxieties, hopes and dreams.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Response to Silver’s veganism and vaccine column

Feb. 19, 2015

The argument made by Andrew Silver in his editorial “Refusing vaccines for veganism is a right” is ignoring a crucial part to the premise. He states that, if an outbreak occurs, then the unvaccinated employee should be put on paid leave or work from home (or in his case, excused from classes). Silver seems to think very highly of himself, and apparently believes that UF does also. Unfortunately, it’s not all about him or his dietary ethics.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Condom sense: Please use protection

Feb. 19, 2015

The week before sophomore year started, I decided I was finally an adult, and it was high time that I purchased my own box of condoms. Prior to that, I had always relied on the free condoms from the health center or crossed my fingers that my partner would bring some.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Legislators’ aim to ban AP classes is just a political game that ignores reality

Feb. 19, 2015

The Oklahoma Legislature is hard at work this year creating the greatest education system in the nation. How will they go about it, you ask? They are trying to ban Advanced Placement classes. Yes, the classes many of you took in high school just for the opportunity to attend UF may soon be banned in Oklahoma.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Student organization support of Muslims is hypocritical

Feb. 19, 2015

The fatal shooting of Deah Shaddy Barakat, his wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha and her sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha has sparked outrage. While mainstream media is still portraying the incident as a killing over a “parking dispute,” we know that this was a hate crime against the Muslim community. In turn, many communities are condemning Islamophobia. But what does their condemnation actually mean? A vigil at UF that happened Friday evening was endorsed by many different student organizations, including the Jewish Student Union and J Street UF, two organizations that actively perpetuate Islamophobia through their acceptance and funding of Israeli apartheid. What needs to be understood is that one cannot claim to stand in solidarity with the Muslim community while simultaneously supporting Zionism and Israeli state-sponsored terrorism against the Muslim world.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Prohibited Student Government debate recordings an injustice to voters

Feb. 18, 2015

On Tuesday night about 500 people packed into the University Auditorium for the Student Government and Freshman Leadership Council candidate debate.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Debate should be filmed

Feb. 18, 2015

One and a half percent. That’s the percentage of UF students who showed up to watch the Student Government debate Tuesday based on the 500-person estimate by this publication. The Freshman Leadership Council is claiming that the debate was not recorded in any manner — text, audio or video — to protect the integrity of the debate. I was told that the Alligator live-tweeted the event, which is fantastic except that Twitter is nothing but sound bites, and a paper can only print so big of an article. Where is the integrity of an event if 98.5 percent of the university cannot see it in its entirety?

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Accent lacks speaker, acknowledgement of Women’s History Month

Feb. 17, 2015

Accent Speaker’s Bureau has reliably brought us great guests over the years. Thanks to the group’s work, we’ve had the pleasure of hosting such illustrious and enviable personalities as Carl Hiaasen, Kurt Vonnegut, George Takei, Queen Latifah, Dr. Kevorkian and Ben & Jerry — yes, THAT Ben & Jerry. Next week, they’ll be bringing us James Franco, who will converse with J-school professor and de facto journalism guru Mike Foley.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Trans women of color are overwhelming oppressed, even more ignored

Feb. 17, 2015

Our current sociopolitical climate is confusing and sometimes paradoxical. I’d like to believe that legislation reflects popular opinion or, at the very least, is protective and just. The shortsighted have praised marriage equality gains as a reliable sign of progress. But many are quick to forget the end of the LGBTQ+ acronym.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Dietary supplements are not required to maintain a healthy lifestyle

Feb. 17, 2015

February is always a challenging month to push through. It’s not just because of the cute couples who meander through campus and remind you that you are, in fact, single.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Refusing vaccination for veganism is a civil right

Feb. 17, 2015

An Ohio hospital fired a 58-year-old vegan customer service representative for refusing a flu shot in 2010. She sued the hospital for religious discrimination.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Past lynchings are still part of our present

Feb. 16, 2015

On a hot, muggy, summer day in Georgia, two black couples were seized by a mob of white men. They were taken to a clearing overlooking a nearby river — the Apalachee, some 15 miles from where the University of Georgia stands today. There, they were tied up and shot to death — the coroner’s report estimated they were shot as many as 60 times. One of the women was pregnant; though it isn’t certain, some reports claim the unborn child was ripped out from her body.