Opinion | Editorials - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Facebook hosting news may not be such a good idea

Mar. 25, 2015

Facebook was perhaps the pioneer social networking site, surpassing early failures and moderate successes like Myspace. Today, though, it’s often seen as a congested social hellscape, overrun with posts from your pregnant high school classmates, vaguely racist rants and OMG this adorable little girl asked her brother where babies come from and YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Santa Fe Student Government needs your help

Mar. 24, 2015

We’ve been devoting a lot of coverage to Ted Cruz, Iran, anti-homelessness ordinances and regressive legislation concerning who can use what bathroom. Today, let’s direct our attention locally to Santa Fe College.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

UVA frat’s exoneration does not invalidate sexual assault epidemic

Mar. 23, 2015

Sexual assault on college campuses has become one of the defining issues of the mid-2010s. Discussion of the problem is widespread, and at this point it has become impossible to ignore. The president launched an initiative to combat it. Sen. Marco Rubio is sponsoring legislation against it. As a community, we were forced to deal with it during last year’s spree of yet-unsolved attacks against women.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Trans bathroom bill comes from hatred, contempt

Mar. 22, 2015

Tonight on campus, LGBT Affairs is hosting a vigil for the thousands of trans women who lose their lives to violent hatred annually.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Left and right finally agree on Ferguson

Mar. 16, 2015

Since the Department of Justice released its report on the internal practices of the Ferguson Police Department, the national shouting match that erupted repeatedly last year resurfaced — but in a different way.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Iran letter hullabaloo sign of partisan issues

Mar. 15, 2015

Every presidency generates its own controversies. Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration started a civil war. The Reagan administration illegally sold weapons to Iran and used the proceeds to fund a right-wing Guatemalan militia with a fondness for committing war crimes. Bill Clinton holds the unique distinction of having been the first president caught getting blown in the Oval Office.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Darts & Laurels: Morning Joe, SAE and 'the letter'

Mar. 12, 2015

It’s been a tough week transitioning out of Spring Break, but at least the anti-abortion group is gone, right? Here’s your never-has-TGIF-been-so-true edition of

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Right on, students who exercised First Amendment rights

Mar. 11, 2015

Wednesday was the second day the so-called “Justice Riders” brought their message to campus. This time, they brought a Jumbotron to the Plaza of the Americas, from which they broadcasted footage of abortion procedures.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Pro-life advocates tactics offensive while ineffective

Mar. 10, 2015

UF’s most unsettling annual tradition rolled into town Tuesday, as anyone who had the displeasure of walking on Turlington Plaza or the Plaza of the Americas knows.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

OU rightfully disbands frat after video of racist chants emerges

Mar. 9, 2015

The proliferation of smartphones has done wonders for the exposure of corruption, discrimination and other despicable behaviors. Allegations that previously could have been brushed off as fabrication are now often backed up with videos of the accused caught in the act.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Florida’s ban on “climate change” phrasing unfortunately not a joke

Mar. 8, 2015

Still a little sore about how the gubernatorial elections turned out in November? Upset over the re-election of a man who personally invoked the Fifth Amendment 75 times in relation to his role in the largest Medicare fraud case in U.S. history?

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Access Party may have won, but its work has just begun

Feb. 25, 2015

We’ve finally come to the end of a long, hard-fought campaign, defined by multiple episodes of political intrigue and the strongest resurgence of the opposition since 1999.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

UF alumni scuffle over medical marijuana, political influence

Feb. 24, 2015

Today marks the end of Student Government elections for this semester, and while it’s easily been the one of the most entertaining ones on record, we feel like it’s time to step back and talk about something else for a change. Considering this is Florida, we’d have to be incredibly unlucky to go a day without a scandalous story going by, especially if it has to do with in-state political maneuvers.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Prohibited Student Government debate recordings an injustice to voters

Feb. 18, 2015

On Tuesday night about 500 people packed into the University Auditorium for the Student Government and Freshman Leadership Council candidate debate.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Accent lacks speaker, acknowledgement of Women’s History Month

Feb. 17, 2015

Accent Speaker’s Bureau has reliably brought us great guests over the years. Thanks to the group’s work, we’ve had the pleasure of hosting such illustrious and enviable personalities as Carl Hiaasen, Kurt Vonnegut, George Takei, Queen Latifah, Dr. Kevorkian and Ben & Jerry — yes, THAT Ben & Jerry. Next week, they’ll be bringing us James Franco, who will converse with J-school professor and de facto journalism guru Mike Foley.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Past lynchings are still part of our present

Feb. 16, 2015

On a hot, muggy, summer day in Georgia, two black couples were seized by a mob of white men. They were taken to a clearing overlooking a nearby river — the Apalachee, some 15 miles from where the University of Georgia stands today. There, they were tied up and shot to death — the coroner’s report estimated they were shot as many as 60 times. One of the women was pregnant; though it isn’t certain, some reports claim the unborn child was ripped out from her body.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Last week was a heartbreaking week for journalists, media consumers

Feb. 15, 2015

Last week was a terrible one for the news industry.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Alabama limbo good sign for national marriage equality

Feb. 10, 2015

Alabama began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples Monday. Well, parts of Alabama, anyway.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Bush can’t escape embarrassment from staff member's tweets

Feb. 9, 2015

The Republican with seemingly the best chance of sitting in the Oval Office used to occupy a parallel room in the Florida Governor’s Mansion.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

“To Kill a Mockingbird” sequel has suspicious origins

Feb. 4, 2015

If you or anybody you may have encountered in the last couple days happens to enjoy reading in any capacity, you’ve probably heard the news about the new book by Harper Lee.