We hate to say it, but it's sometimes just easier to blame it all on the moon. Here at Darts & Laurels headquarters, we're seriously thinking that the lunar eclipse this Wednesday may be the only way to explain some of the crazy things happening here in Gainesville and halfway across the world. So if you're ready to leave this week behind,and you've braved the rain once again to make it to campus, we reward you with another week's edition of…
We have to start by offering up the mandatory protecting-the-unborn-doesn't-require-exploiting -dead-fetuses DART to UF's Pro-Life Alliance for inviting the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform to our campus. If you were lucky enough to have missed it, the prominent mural on the Plaza of the Americas displayed images of aborted fetuses next to those from the Holocaust and Rwandan genocide as part of its bogus "Genocide Awareness Project."
Rather than engage anyone in any productive debate about abortion, the project disgusted a majority of the passersby with its graphic photos and missed a real chance to promote its cause. If the Pro-Life Alliance really wanted to reach out to UF students, it could start by not using lurid, insulting photos to do it.
On to more conservative offenses, we bestow a shouldn't-you-be-arguing-about-failing-test-scores-instead DART to the State Board of Education for shying away from controversy this week. Qualifying the landmark decision to teach evolution - yes, even in 2008 - with the words "scientific theory" rather than a fact makes us question whether the separation of church and state is even applicable in the sunshine state. And as usual, students across the state are the ones who stand to lose the most.
Educational standards were dealt yet another blow this week by our usually suave Gov. Charlie Crist. Our orange-glow governor earned himself a do-you-have-your-head-in-the-sand-when-you-get-that-tan DART when he said state universities should live within their means and be satisfied with his spending proposals, which include no tuition increase.
At the conference with university presidents, he told the St. Petersburg Times that if "they're unhappy, maybe they ought to turn the reins over to somebody else." Way to be diplomatic, Charlie.
Another group that could use a lesson or two in diplomacy is the irate Serbian protestors. When many nations recognized Kosovo as an independent country, the angry Serbians decided to set various embassies ablaze, including the American embassy in Belgrade. They earned themselves the maybe-you-shouldn't-oppose-what-you-call-instability-by-starting-riots DART. Throwing rocks and breaking windows makes you look like petulant children, not a political force to be reckoned with. Just a thought, guys, just a thought.
Finally, we can't help but pick on one of our inspirations with a this-is-why-Americans-blame-the-media-for-everything DART going out to The New York Times. We question the paper's decision Thursday to print what can only be described as lazy and irresponsible journalism with a story that could have wrongfully hurt the reputation of Sen. John McCain. The story detailed a possible affair with a lobbyist - who bears a creepy resemblance to Mrs. McCain if we do say so ourselves - from eight years ago.
That's right, eight years ago. Not only did the article have no news value and relied heavily on anonymous sources, it gave the Republican Party and its conservative base another reason to dismiss the paper. Can't the Gray Lady come up with something that hasn't been recycled from two elections ago?
