Opinion

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Liberty solves divisive issues, not the state

June 13, 2012

No one denies that the philosophical divide between Americans on the political left and right has only grown sharper in recent years. Bitter resentment and contempt for those of opposing views is commonplace. It often seems that the stronger the convictions or the more awareness one has of political issues, the more fervently one tends to see others as opponents.

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Breaking the Bank: Students need to know details of budget

June 11, 2012

It would be an understatement to say that last week’s Board of Trustees meetings were eventful.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Learn the truth beyond history textbooks

June 11, 2012

Like any modern society, we depend on schools to help us navigate through life. Our education is paramount to our ability to reason, and we apply our knowledge to help us solve problems. However, a couple of months ago a stark realization hit me — in every country, even in the U.S., a certain level of propaganda exists within our curriculum.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

What happens online, stays online

June 11, 2012

There’s a certain level of danger in mentioning anything on the Internet. One link falls into the hands of the wrong person and before you know it, innocent pictures or comments get turned into giant jokes.

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Darts & Laurels

June 6, 2012

Well, this week was certainly more tame than last week.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Howard Zinn, hate mail and ponytails

June 6, 2012

One of the really stimulating things about writing this column is the fact that I receive scathing critiques from people of differing views on everything from my thoughts and ideas to my personal character and anything else imaginable. Every now and then, somebody puts forth something so ripe for exposition that I can’t resist a response.

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Playground Bully

June 4, 2012

Recently, Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law has raised some serious discussions about the ability of people to defend themselves or others in violent or aggressive situations.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Americans shouldn’t ignore soda servings

June 4, 2012

But Mayor Michael Bloomberg is certainly trying.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Occupy movement has inspired many

June 4, 2012

It’s close to nine months since Occupy Wall Street came onto the scene and caused a stir by peacefully sitting in Zuccotti Park. In this time, several different Occupy groups have sprung up around the nation.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Support the troops, not the government

June 4, 2012

It is of some concern that the pronoun “they” is constantly used to refer to the government. If the United States is a government of, by, and for the people, then shouldn’t the pronoun “we” be more appropriate?

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Darts & Laurels

May 30, 2012

It’s starting to look like this hurricane season is going to be worse than the last few years. Of course, they seem to say that every year and nothing happens. Either way, we’re proud to bring you this week’s it’s-about-damn-time-for-some-global-warming edition of...

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Memorial Day is a monument to character

May 30, 2012

This Memorial Day, perhaps more than most, I’m reminded of the contrasts between people and the things they choose to stand for in their lives. With all of the talk coming from the left about the imagined 1 percent versus the beleaguered 99 percent, it’s very easy to simply tune out these fabricated numbers and carry on.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

UF should look to Montreal for example

May 28, 2012

It is no secret that in our gloomy economic times, one of the first sectors to get hit is education. Due to these budget cuts, many universities, including our own, have resorted to tuition hikes. These tuition hikes are part of the dwindling spiral that is our economy.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Don’t condemn someone’s way of life, confuse hateful remarks for jokes

May 28, 2012

Did you know it is the year 2012?

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Darts & Laurels

May 23, 2012

It feels like the weeks are going by faster than the decline in Facebook’s stock price.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Political correctness paralyzes the mind

May 23, 2012

Last week, my fellow columnist Michela Martinazzi wrote a piece denouncing the satirical film “The Dictator,” which purportedly mocks Middle Eastern despots, according to her, on the basis of racial stereotyping.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Welcome to the Web, a voyeur’s paradise

May 22, 2012

I’m not really liking the turn technology has taken lately.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Bloomberg’s reaction to living wage bill shows disconnect

May 22, 2012

New York City used to be the city of hopes and dreams. Today, we see a different narrative emerging.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Emancipation Day should be reminder to keep fighting slavery

May 21, 2012

On May 20, 1865, U.S. General Edward M. McCook gave the first reading of the Emancipation Proclamation in the state of Florida. During the Civil War, more than 1,000 African-American Floridians joined nearly a quarter of a million African-Americans across the nation to serve in the Union Army and Navy. Many more worked as scouts, spies and laborers in a struggle to end the long nightmare of slavery. Henceforth, African-American Floridians observed May 20 as a sacred day of remembrance of the Peculiar Institution’s many victims, and in hope that the nation would nevermore place property rights above human rights.

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Darts & Laurels

By Alligator Editorial Board | May 17, 2012

We have a lot to cover today, so let’s skip the introduction and get right into this week’s first-Darts-and-Laurels-of-the-summer edition of...