Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: As we extend our stay in Afghanistan, the ghosts of Bush and Cheney linger

Oct. 19, 2015

Following the Sept. 11 attacks, the U.S. firmly and confidently planted itself in the Middle East beginning with Afghanistan in late 2001. At the time, there were few who would have publicly disagreed with this course of action, but then again, how could they? The nation had just been attacked on a scale that had never been seen before and has yet to be matched. We were hurt, and, perhaps more than anything else, we were scared. Not to go after the men who had hurt us so deeply would have been a decision rooted in fear and cowardice.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Conversion therapy poses threat to LGBTQ+ youth

Oct. 19, 2015

On Thursday, the U.S. government issued a report calling for an end to "ex-gay" conversion therapy. A practice devastating to LGBTQ+ children and teenagers, conversion therapies "reinforce harmful gender stereotypes and are not appropriate mental health treatments," according to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration official.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letter to the Editor 10/20/2015

Oct. 19, 2015

Homeless of Gainesville need help

OPINION | COLUMNS

Life is what happens while you’re on your phone

Oct. 19, 2015

I’m a people watcher. Whether it be at Midtown, Turlington or in class, you can often find me unabashedly staring at people from a stationary viewpoint — usually just watching, but occasionally taking notes. What started as a slightly creepy habit has recently been exacerbated by my independent research class, which requires me to take extensive field notes on basically anything I observe people doing. Sure, I was used to standing in a corner at any given social event and idly watching people interact. However, something about taking notes took it to a sociopathic level I wasn’t particularly comfortable with.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: A living legend came to UF, but where were the students?

Oct. 18, 2015

Last Friday, civil rights activist and living legend Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) spoke at the University Auditorium to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the landmark Voting Rights Act in 1965, as well as raise awareness about its uncertain future. The act, which was passed by President Lyndon B. Johnson following several unprovoked attacks and deaths of civil rights activists, abolished literacy tests and similar tactics aimed at keeping black Americans from voting. The act’s very existence can be traced to the efforts of Lewis and his colleagues, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and A. Philip Randolph; to have Lewis in UF’s halls is to have a giant in our midst.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Congressman Yoho embodies the American dream

Oct. 18, 2015

Last week, I decided to talk to Gainesville’s own Ted Yoho, representative for the third District. As someone who has previously worked on his campaign, I know he has a lot to say and would make for a great interviewee.

OPINION | COLUMNS

It’s not 'just a costume'

Oct. 18, 2015

This Halloween, like all Halloweens, the floodgates for offensive costumes will open. In two weeks’ time, lots of people will think it’s OK to make fun of cultures and demonstrate a complete disregard toward the historical and social context of their costume. Darkening your skin isn’t cool; it harkens back to when blackface was used for minstrel shows. Similarly, dressing as a Native American is insensitive to their culture, which was trampled on and remains largely ignored to this day. These costumes parody, rather than honor, other cultures because they act as hollow interpretations that are rooted in assumption, not actual knowledge.

OPINION | COLUMNS

A look at Europe’s refugee crisis and Italy's politics

Oct. 18, 2015

Amie Kreppel is the founding director of the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence and associate professor of political science.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts and Laurels 10/16/2015

Oct. 15, 2015

What do you know? It’s already Oct. 16. One moment you’re a beaming freshman full of life, optimism and drive, and with the blink of an eye, you’re already a jaded, sleep-deprived, nerve-ridden upperclassman waiting to get your next coffee fix. Be careful in these upcoming weeks, and don’t let time slip through your fingers too easily. With that said, it’s time for …

OPINION | COLUMNS

Live your life and don’t treat age as a mile marker

Oct. 15, 2015

I turned 21 over the summer. It was bittersweet: The luxury of being able to buy beer was offset by a deluge of anxieties about my future. Was I doing the right thing? What should I have been doing? Was I where I was supposed to be at 21?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Don’t just 'save the ta-tas' — let's save lives

Oct. 15, 2015

Tuesday was No Bra Day, which would normally be my favorite public holiday. An excuse to ditch the confinement of underwire? Sign me up.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Israel: False equivalencies, poor arguments

Oct. 15, 2015

On Tuesday afternoon, I was regrettably introduced to an article written by The Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens, a column so repugnant it left a nausea in me that has yet to go away.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: The reality of Israel is more complex than many realize

Oct. 14, 2015

Tuesday afternoon, Israeli officials deployed soldiers and military checkpoints around its cities in a preventative measure aimed at reducing the number of attacks — mostly stabbings — that have ravaged Israeli civilians in the last few weeks. According to the Red Crescent, 30 Palestinians have been killed and 4,200 wounded in the violence of the last few weeks. In contrast, seven Israelis have been killed and 99 wounded, according to the Red Cross.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Gun control reform is muddled by spin zones

Oct. 14, 2015

Last week, presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson made a string of comments on the shooting in Oregon. One of Dr. Carson’s claims was if the Jews in Nazi Germany had been armed, then Hitler’s plans for the Holocaust would have been greatly diminished. This line of inane rhetoric is nothing new, with many in the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other gun lobby groups citing this ill-thought-out hypothetical for several years.

OPINION | COLUMNS

From President Fuchs: A new path may lead to wonderful possibilities

Oct. 14, 2015

College is where you find your life passion and follow your dreams. Unfortunately, after 42 years as a university student, professor and administrator, I haven’t yet discovered my life passion, and I’m not following a dream.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Let's redefine consent to combat rape culture

Oct. 14, 2015

Last week, UF Student Government coordinated a series of events in accordance with Sexual Assault Awareness Week. Events held during the week included a panel in which survivors of sexual assault spoke of their experiences and the prevalence of the trend.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: Empathy and social media don’t mix

Oct. 13, 2015

So, Will Grier. Following the announcement that Monday’s press conference would be pushed back in order to acknowledge Grier’s suspension for violating the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s substance-abuse policy, social media was alight with memes and missives expressing disappointment and anger. While UF students worked through their grief, Florida State University students tried to spin the moment as a justification for their own former star quarterback Jameis Winston’s immoral behavior — it didn’t stick.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Columbus: the prototypical American

Oct. 13, 2015

The recent commemoration of Columbus Day, rightly rebranded to Indigenous Peoples Day by nine prominent cities in the country, provides an excellent point of reflection as to who Americans are and what exactly America is.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Politics continue to Trump common sense

Oct. 13, 2015

Somehow, these names don’t fit together: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Donald Trump. However, many polls measuring the presidential race predict Trump will soon be sitting alongside some of the greatest leaders who built this very country. So, as hundreds of thousands of Americans visit Mount Vernon and Monticello today, I have to ask: Will we be taking our children to visit the Trump Tower?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Don’t mess with Nicki Minaj

Oct. 13, 2015

Last week, celebrity profile writer Vanessa Grigoriadis interviewed rap superstar Nicki Minaj for "The New York Times" in an article titled "The Passion of Nicki Minaj." No big deal, right? Wrong.