opinion - The Independent Florida Alligator

Opinion

Affordable Pill not a priority

By Michael O'Malley | Mar. 26, 2008

I wish to contend several points that Laura Moore raised Monday in her letter about affordable birth control. First, I understand that a student may have to live from paycheck to paycheck. However, if at the end of her budget calculation (and an actual budget was certainly implied in the letter) she finds that such dire straits have arisen that a choice must be made between dispensing money to either health care or utilities, I would suggest she revises her budget to exclude several trips for sushi. I don't mean to stereotype, but the validity of such an ultimatum is difficult to believe and there are many ways to free up money in the budget: Ride a bike, don't eat out, grow your own vegetables, get your movies from the library, etc.

Opinion

Gator Party shuts out CLAS representation

By Mark McShera | Mar. 25, 2008

On Sunday night, the Student Senate Replacement and Agenda Committee voted on its recommendations for committee appointments. It rejected all four members of the Orange and Blue Party who applied. As Orange and Blue swept the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences last month, this leaves the 12,000 students of CLAS without representation on any of the Senate's five committees.

Opinion

Homeless crime records used to justify stereotypes

By the Editorial Board | Mar. 25, 2008

With the recent shuffling of the proposed one-stop homeless service center's location, it is clear that many Gainesville residents will do much to decry the homeless problem, but very little to help move toward a solution - especially if that solution happens to be in their own backyards.

Opinion

U.S. cannot impose will on Iraqi people

By Daniel Watstein | Mar. 25, 2008

Tuesday's guest column on the Iraq war argues with a distinctly twisted premise. The author assumes that we have some right or duty to spread democracy to other countries and that Iraq was a good target. That's ludicrous. Other countries have the right to choose different forms of government.

Opinion

Tibet column was misinformed, biased

By Jie Wang | Mar. 25, 2008

Obviously the author of Monday's guest column knew little about the history and current status of Tibet, and it also seems she did not do any research about the subject.

Opinion

Executive order tries to shield history

Mar. 25, 2008

It has been said that the winners write the history books. If Executive Order 13233 isn't repealed, the mediocre and incompetent will get their chance.

Opinion

Statistics do not reveal the whole story

By GERALD LILES | Mar. 24, 2008

Thomas Mortenson, senior scholar at the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education, raised the alarm in gender bias across campuses recently.

Opinion

Bush administration's original intentions for Iraq were noble

By MATTHEW YOUNG | Mar. 24, 2008

It is fair to say that nothing in Iraq has gone as the United States planned or intended, but the war was hardly built on lies or oil. Mistakes were made, and the Bush administration is to blame, but its plan was bold and its intentions were noble.

Opinion

Breaches affect many, not just candidates

By the Editorial Board | Mar. 24, 2008

When news broke last week that the passport files of presidential candidates Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain were illegally accessed by employees at the U.S. State Department, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice quickly issued a public apology.

Sports

Women's basketball takes bigger steps this season than men

Mar. 24, 2008

Hey ladies, you know the times when you give your guy "the look" after he says something, ahem, unintelligent?

Opinion

UF should postpone CLAS dean search

By the Editorial Board | Mar. 23, 2008

And then there were two.

Opinion

Petition asks for affordable birth control

By Laura Moore | Mar. 23, 2008

These past few months, I have noticed many of my friends recalculating their monthly budgets because of the new costs incurred by their birth control.

Opinion

Number of deaths is the real offense

By VINCENT MASSARO | Mar. 23, 2008

The war in Iraq is completely f-ing absurd. Four short of 4,000 Americans have died - f-ing horrible. This war is f-ing useless.

Opinion

Cattle-roping contest was public cruelty

By Jamie Klapholz | Mar. 23, 2008

After hearing about Saturday's cattle-roping contest, which was sponsored by a UF class, I was overcome with shame because as a UF student I am part of an organization that condones animal cruelty.

Opinion

Library parking needs to be changed

Mar. 19, 2008

It's the first day of spring. Birds are chirping, the sun is shining and your car is being towed from the side of Library West.

Opinion

Obama's speech ignored Muslims

By David Reznik | Mar. 19, 2008

I, like many across the country, was deeply moved by Sen. Barack Obama's speech yesterday. However, despite all of the media hoopla, I am distressed that there has not been any public debate about problems with the speech.

Opinion

Delegates should not be rationed

By Eric Conrad | Mar. 19, 2008

When Democrats voted Jan. 29 in Florida's primary, they did so with hopes that while their candidate might not get their delegates in the end, it would be a public show of support and expression of their political opinion.

Opinion

Obama's approach can change campaign tone

By the Editorial Board | Mar. 19, 2008

If you didn't get the chance to catch Sen. Barack Obama's speech on race Tuesday in Philadelphia, it wouldn't hurt to head over to YouTube to watch it.

Opinion

Concealed carry debate exploits tragedy

By Nathan Juster | Mar. 19, 2008

While I am not one to disagree with anyone's right to conceal or carry a weapon in public, I think that this issue has been blown out of proportion by the recent in-school violence.

Opinion

The anniversary that is no cause for celebration

By the Editorial Board | Mar. 18, 2008

While the mainstream media were trying to make sure everyone stopped to check out the MySpace page of Elliot Spitzer's 22-year-old "escort," the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq has crept up on the American public almost as quickly as the now more than $3 price tag for a gallon of gasoline.