Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Shire from Lord of the Rings an ideal economic model

By Luke Bailey | Jan. 24, 2012

For those who have read or watched the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, it can be easy to desire the sort of world J.R.R. Tolkien portrayed. The Shire, an idealistic agrarian community on the western edge of Middle Earth, appears to be a world of social and economic bliss. There, hobbits peacefully engage in their day-to-day business: growing crops, selling simple goods and ending a hard day's work with a pint of ale at The Green Dragon. It is enough to make one nostalgic for a world that never truly existed, and it prompts the question: Is this sort of realm possible?

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Touchy TSA: Airport security showing its absurdity

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Jan. 23, 2012

The Transportation Security Administration might as well be a four-letter word for people who have ever made a trip through the airport.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Whistle-blowers do not compromise security

By Dyllan Furness | Jan. 23, 2012

Despite former President John F. Kennedy's adage, the sole justification for laws is to benefit and protect the citizens they govern.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Dealing with obnoxious neighbors as simple as F-A-P

By Chip Skambis | Jan. 22, 2012

Neighbors can be as annoying as cheapskates who sneak into churches to do laundry rather than go to a laundromat.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Capitalism best policy to eliminate poverty

By Travis Hornsby | Jan. 22, 2012

Friday night at the Graham Center for Public Policy, talk show host Tavis Smiley and Princeton academic Cornel West passionately advocated for the poor and disenfranchised.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Bad form: Sloppy reporting mars Paterno's death

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Jan. 22, 2012

Former head coach of Penn State's football team Joe Paterno passed away at the age of 85.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Darts & laurels

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Jan. 19, 2012

If you haven't noticed, it's Hollywood awards show season, and the stars are coming out.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

MLK Day is more than a day off

By Roberta Roberts | Jan. 19, 2012

While others are living a dream, there are millions of people living a labor and sexually exploited nightmare in the United States of America.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Republicans may widen class divide by only working for wealthy

Jan. 18, 2012

Only a couple weeks in, the Republican presidential primaries have already given us all we've come to expect from the GOP: baseless attacks and conservative talking points.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Unite Party made no improvements on SG election codes

By Carly Wilson | Jan. 18, 2012

Last Tuesday, the Unite Party engaged in some of the most disgusting, blatantly corrupt behavior I have seen in my time in Senate.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Forcing the hand: Let employers require high school diplomas

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Jan. 17, 2012

Employers around the country have become concerned about a letter from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that says requiring a high school diploma for certain job positions could violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Homesickness shows one's strength

By Luke Bailey | Jan. 17, 2012

We have made it to the second week of the spring semester.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Internet ire: Congress should kill ‘anti-piracy' bill

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Jan. 16, 2012

It appears as though one widely unpopular piece of legislation, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) might be killed before the House of Representatives can bring it to a vote.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Fast food disassociates us from nature

By Dyllan Furness | Jan. 16, 2012

It seems characteristic of man, today more than ever, to move further away from his natural self with each notch of progress added to his belt.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Interior design requires licensing

By Clarissa Carr | Jan. 16, 2012

In response to the editorial addressing interior design licensing, the students of UF's Department of Interior Design would like to have the opportunity to respond to the many misconceptions about the profession put forth.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Company should stand up to Florida group's racist views

By Umair Asghar | Jan. 12, 2012

On Dec. 10, 2011, Lowe's Companies, Inc. decided to pull its advertisements from TLC's "All-American Muslim."

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Darts and laurels

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Jan. 12, 2012

If you're reading this, congratulations! You made it through the first week of the semester.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Join us: Alligator to hold open house Friday

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Jan. 11, 2012

The time has come again for your friendly neighborhood Alligator to ask for help.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Romney's conservatism questionable

By Guillermo R. Pradieu | Jan. 11, 2012

How is it that an individual such as Mitt Romney could not have had better luck as a presidential candidate and still struggle?

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

More work needs to be done for homeless

By Pat Fitzpatrick | Jan. 11, 2012

This letter is in response to Adrianna Paidas' article about the requirement for police clearance imposed on the poor and homeless to be allowed to use services at St. Francis House homeless shelter and dining hall. This requirement was imposed at the same time the 130 meal limit ordinance was enacted, but the police clearance requirement was not enforced until the meal limit was lifted. For two and a half years, they were forced to turn away thousands of hungry people.