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Sunday, September 21, 2025

Opinion

Florida Alligator
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. 

Florida Alligator
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.

Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Legalizing marijuana is still a challenge for the Sunshine State

Feb. 15, 2015

Colorado has had recreational marijuana legalized for one year now, and its effects are still hard to determine. Many questions still remain: Did it bring in expected tax revenue? Were there any devastating unexpected consequences? Should other states follow suit and legalize pot? Many in Florida are looking into Colorado’s experiment to find support for legalizing marijuana, but the evidence may not be totally available yet.

Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  DARTS LAURELS

Kanye West, veterans and cub scouts in this week's Darts & Laurels

Feb. 12, 2015

So, it’s the middle of midterms, and like you, we’re looking desperately for the light at the end of this dark, dark tunnel. Coffee has completely wrecked our digestive systems, and it feels like we gave up on eating real food weeks ago. But there’s hope on the horizon — we’re right at peak testing insanity, and there’s only about a week left. Until then, enjoy this holding-out-for-next-weekend edition of… 

Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Idiots threaten the United States’ safety and future

Feb. 12, 2015

For a country that urges young people to get educated in order to get ahead, we’re quickly becoming a nation of idiots. Perhaps the Mike Judge film “Idiocracy” accurately predicted a future America in which everyone is a dunce, where any idiot who time travels to the future is automatically the smartest man in the country. Whatever the cause, our collective idiocy could undo all that our country has accomplished, and that should terrify everyone out of their pants. Sure, we can pride ourselves on American exceptionalism or believe that a 230-year-old constitution will save the day, but something is amiss in the U.S., and we need an urgent course correction.

Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Straight outta Bahston: Mark Wahlberg, the Oscars and American greatness

Feb. 12, 2015

As a culture, Americans have long been fixated on the idea of being “the best.” As any cultural anthropologist could tell you, this phenomenon is the natural by-product of being “the best” country the world has ever seen. Naturally, our esteemed privilege has often led us to debate who or what is “the best” in their respective fields. “The best” president. “The best” college football team. “The best” Kardashian. “The best” flavor of Doritos to go with your Mountain Dew. “The best” instance of Rob Schneider yelling “You can do it!” in an Adam Sandler film. It is these debates, rational and nuanced as they are, that have helped to keep American civil discourse the respected, revered institution that it is.

Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Improvement in UF SG: a how-to guide

Feb. 10, 2015

For those who missed out, last week I wrote a column detailing our Student Government representatives’ lack of visibility. In an attempt to highlight the disparities in SG presence during election time as compared to that of the rest of the year, I mentioned that Swamp Party has a recurring pattern of abandoning their social media platforms after elections. Thankfully, Blake Murphy, SG director of external affairs, wrote a letter to the editor informing me of an election code that prohibits political parties from making posts outside of election cycles. Murphy also brought attention to another YouTube account, one of three unverified ones, that releases “SG TV” episodes. He went on to mention that SG hosts dozens of events because visibility and transparency are their priorities. 

Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

GOP: There’s nothing ‘beautiful’ about rape

Feb. 9, 2015

A Republican state lawmaker insulted women and sexual assault survivors nationwide Thursday when he spoke about rape exemptions in a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. During West Virginia’s House Health Committee meeting, delegate Brian Kurcaba argued that rape and incest victims shouldn’t be exempt from the ban because even pregnancy from rape has a silver lining.

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