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Saturday, July 19, 2025

Opinion

Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Gov. Rick Scott should be impeached

Gov. Rick Scott needs to go. In his first few months of office he has single-handedly killed the best opportunity this state had for economic development and job growth, further destroyed our education system, attempted to balance the state's budget on the backs of our middle class and much more. Or should I say so much less? He is the most corrupt American politician since Boss Tweed and is twice as creepy looking. Like Tammany Hall, he needs to be eliminated. The high-speed rail would have brought about 24,000 jobs to our state, one of the hardest hit states by the recession. It also would have marked an economic and technological step forward. Scott opposed and effectively slaughtered the rail for pure petty politics.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Local resident celebrates death of bin Laden, calls it historic moment

We got him: a man whose evil changed the world and defined a young generation. He was a figurehead of evil, and he was the serpent in the garden. On that day in September, our vision of evil was changed from the likes of Captain Hook to the realities of true unforgiving atrocities. Our young generation experienced more real death and more real fear than any young person should ever have to endure. Almost ten years after his most infamous attack on innocent lives, the people who he affected most, the generation of children who lost their loved ones and lost their innocence, can celebrate for the first time in their lives.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

If he can write for us, why can't you?

About two years ago, I decided to do what millions of college-aged kids have done since the days when Jesus and the Dirty Dozen toured as a traveling family band: print out a resume, put on the greatest pseudo-smile Monopoly money can buy and apply for a job.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Columnist neglects to mention serious side effects

I feel obligated to respond to Laura Ellermeyer’s Tuesday column on “study pills.” While I applaud her for denouncing their use, I feel she took the matter too lightly. I have ADHD and take Concerta (a form of Ritalin) and suffer the side effects she spoke of, but there are worse side effects as well. All the drugs she mentioned can cause chronic headaches (which I suffer from) as well as loss of appetite, heartburn, vomiting. And that’s just the mild symptoms. Worse symptoms include seizures, depression, heart trouble and sudden death, especially in adults with heart defects or previous heart problems. This can all be found on the PubMed Health website. There have been documented cases of children dying from a Ritalin dose their own doctor prescribed.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

One Year Later

Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Although a year has passed, BP PLC still has some serious damage control to do. Of course, the oil giant focused on keeping its company’s name and reputation in tact during the crisis, which left many of us staring, mouths agape at video of oil spewing out of the Earth. Scientists and economists are giving us varied feedback on the outcome of the disaster.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Students tempted by pills during finals

Here’s the situation: Your exam is on Saturday and, let’s be honest, you never actually watched those Statistics lectures. You did most of the quizzes, attended various labs and it’s all coming down to a careful calculation that says you must score at least an 85 on the final for a B in the class. What’s the game plan? Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a pill that gave you a super brain blast allowing for hours of cramming without any of the pain? Forget getting a B, this pill would let you score high enough on the final to reach a nearly-impossible A. Well, that pill exists. In fact, many of those pills exist, and they go by various names such as Adderall, Vyvanse and Ritalin. The day is finally here, folks. Tomorrow marks the end of the 2010-2011 school year at UF, and the light at the end of the tunnel is so bright it’s almost blinding. Freshmen like me end our first year of college while seniors bid their college years adieu. For all of us, however, one pesky word separates us from our summers, and it starts with an F and ends with INALS. Library West is braced for stuffing to max capacity, and Starbucks has stocked its strongest espressos. No. 2 pencils at the ready UF; it’s finals time. How will you navigate these treacherous waters?


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Government regulation not conservative

In response to Bob Minchin’s column on Friday, I find it surprising that one who is appalled by intrusive government agencies and overbearing regulation believes government intrusion and regulation is necessary in the case of unwanted pregnancy. I guess I was wrong to assume a “true conservative” is actually conservative and not just a shill parroting the Republican party line.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Abortion the civil rights issue of the day

I would like to say thank you to Bob Minchin for sharing his views in Friday’s column “Abortion stance key to conservatism.” His extremely well-written dialogue not only exposes the shallow and inhumane actions of the “pro-choice” movement but also calls conservatives to act with passion and conviction.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Revenue Review

With Tax Day here, we’ve come across news saying taxes collected on our nation’s top 400 incomes amount to 10 percentage points less than those collected in 1992. Sounds crazy compared to the average drop of 0.6 percentage points, doesn’t it? Well, keep in mind that 45 percent of American households pay no income taxes, according to the Tax Policy Center.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LGBT community only wants equality

After reading the replies to Megan Bissell’s letter, published April 13, regarding Chick-fil-A’s support of anti-gay organizations, I must say that I too am an angry lesbian. The point both Andrew Robb and Ryan Galloway seemed to miss is that the university allows a corporation to profit off a Student Body that it oppresses. A business is entitled to its “moral” convictions just as much as anyone else. However, these ideals are not consistent with the inclusive and accepting values UF espouses. It is extremely unsettling to know that my school, which insists upon cultivating a diverse student culture, continues to involve itself with a corporation that blatantly perpetuates discrimination and hate against me. UF’s seemingly indifferent attitude in regard to this matter is just as good as its consent and agreement with Chick-fil-A’s actions. How can one feel safe and comfortable on a campus that funds political causes directly targeting its students?


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Women face undue burden in child care

What is with the Bob Minchin column published on Friday? It’s like he doesn’t even try to understand what these women are going through. I will admit I am against abortions, but I at least try to understand why someone would do such a thing. How is a woman supposed to take care of a child if she gets paid a lower salary than a man? How is she supposed to take care of a child if child care costs are ridiculous? There are no American laws that give nursing women a break.


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