Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

MLK and ‘American Sniper’: Light will drive out darkness

Jan. 20, 2015

It’s heartbreaking and infuriating to observe that this weekend — officially dedicated to commemorating the legacy of a great pacifist and visionary of a more just world — was hijacked by Hollywood and rededicated to a film, which serves to glorify American militarism; attempt once again to justify the unthinkably savage slaughter waged for a decade in Iraq; and reignite hatred against Arabs and Muslims. Just check Twitter.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Save yourself money: switch your phone plan to a Wi-Fi service

Jan. 20, 2015

Imagine an average student with an iPhone: She gives $45 a month to AT&T for cell service. If she switched to my $12.71 Republic Wireless plan, she’d save approximately $387 a year. That’s about 28 jars of Nutella from Amazon, or about 49 months of Netflix.

OPINION | COLUMNS

New anti-abortion law is unnecessary, restricts access to a safe procedure

Jan. 20, 2015

Unless you come from Texas, or you keep up with the intricacies of state politics, you probably aren’t aware of the fact that Texas currently only has seven functional abortion clinics. Some people will probably say that seven is plenty, or perhaps too much. Some people might be horrified by the fact that I say there should be and need to be more. Texas is the biggest state in America, and as of 2013, a safe and healthy medical procedure is now likely impossible for many people who don’t have the resources or ability to go to an abortion clinic that could be hundreds of miles away.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

New Connecticut Taser law a step in the right direction

Jan. 20, 2015

Little known fact: “Taser” is actually an acronym for “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle,” which is high in the running for snazziest name of anything, ever. Thomas Swift, by the way, is the main character of a young adult science fiction series from the 1910s.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Closer look at Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Jan. 19, 2015

Naor Amir’s response (“Response to previous letter urging UF to cut ties with anti-Palestinian groups”) to Amanda Nelson’s op-ed (“Call to UF: Cut ties with anti-Palestine community”) was persuasive and thought-provoking. We believed it warranted a response, as it contained many of the arguments that have been used to justify Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. These arguments included, “Israel is the only free country in the Middle East,” “Terrorism is bad” and “What about other Middle Eastern conflicts?”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Bring an end to sexual theatrics

Jan. 19, 2015

Let’s be real. It’s the 21st century, but — other than advances made in modern contraception — not much has changed in the world of sex. Names are frequently confused. Abandoned muscles are continuously being rediscovered. And, unfortunately, orgasms are still faked.

OPINION | COLUMNS

For 2016 election: Move over, Romney

Jan. 19, 2015

We are now three weeks into the New Year, which means move aside 2015 — 2016 is the star. It’s the year when we finally get to have another presidential election, and not one of those boring ones where one of the candidates is an incumbent. We start with fresh contenders from both parties.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Minority mugshot target practice more than just a race issue, it's a human issue

Jan. 19, 2015

A story broke Friday shocking enough to obliterate any feelings of goodwill you may have developed recently.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Measles revived by junk science

Jan. 15, 2015

Generally, when people think of Disneyland Park, they picture a fantastic time with friends and family. Sure, they may get sick riding around on the Alice In Wonderland teacups, but few expect to get literally sick, especially with the measles. However, that’s exactly what happened to at least 26 people who recently visited the California theme park.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Craft beer, free speech and astronomical discoveries in this week's Darts & Laurel

Jan. 15, 2015

Turns out we were lucky that it was just really, really cold last week. This time around, we got a hefty dose of bleak and rainy on top of the frigid air we’ve unfortunately had to get used to. But if Florida really is as weird as everybody else in the country seems to think — see Jon Stewart’s fierce description of us from Tuesday’s “The Daily Show” — it should be unbearably hot and humid soon. To celebrate getting one day closer to that time, here’s your damp-yet-bitterly-cold edition of...

OPINION | COLUMNS

Gators, let me be your dirty Dear Abby

Jan. 15, 2015

I’ve been writing this column for a year now, and I think it’s high time I introduce myself. My name’s Robyn, but I’m also affectionately referred to as “that one girl who writes those sex articles.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Political correctness limits free speech

Jan. 14, 2015

The recent events in Paris have shocked nations worldwide. Last week, 12 Charlie Hebdo cartoonists were killed because they used their right of free expression.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Program helps kick the smoking habit

Jan. 14, 2015

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OPINION | EDITORIALS

Vinyl made heroic comeback last year

Jan. 13, 2015

Vinyl was the laughingstock of the music industry ever since sales of compact discs — CDs — took off in the late 1990s. The digital music format seemed to sound as good, if not better, than its analog counterparts. Tapes sounded terrible, and vinyl records just took up too much damn space. There was no way you were going to fit those things in your car or your Walkman.

OPINION | COLUMNS

College football: not so happily ever after

Jan. 13, 2015

On Jan. 6, 2013, I nearly hit a naked man with my car.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Time to rethink your dream job

Jan. 13, 2015

I don’t care if you identify primarily as an engineer, artist, janitor, fireman, exotic dancer, librarian, lawyer, CIA agent or whatever your secret dream job may be. I’m going to convince you to start your own company this semester.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Response to previous letter urging UF to cut ties with anti-Palestinian groups

Jan. 13, 2015

On the very day that political cartoonists in France were murdered by Islamic radicals simply for exercising their right to freedom of speech, Students for Justice in Palestine member Amanda Nelson wrote an opinion piece urging the boycott of the only free country, according to Freedom House’s rankings, in the Middle East: Israel. Aside from her absolute lack of empirical evidence for any of the allegations she hurls at Israel, she provides no proof whatsoever that boycotting companies such as Elbit Systems or Caterpillar will have any sort of tangible, positive effect on even one Palestinian-Arab.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Don’t pick that Venus flytrap

Jan. 12, 2015

The nature-walk mantra “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints” has not only ecological implications but political and legal ones as well.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Keep Amendment 1 focused on conservation

Jan. 12, 2015

Many of us may have been disappointed by the results of last fall’s gubernatorial election, but few could complain about the passage of Amendment 1 by an overwhelming 74 percent of voters.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Social progress shown through Golden Globes

Jan. 12, 2015

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had an awesome holiday season. It’s great to be back and great to be writing again, although 2015 somehow already feels stressful. The first week of classes was a blur of expensive textbooks and schedule shuffling, but an event this past weekend helped to start my new year off with a bang: the 2015 Golden Globes.