Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Relax, Jeb Bush is still going to be president

Nov. 8, 2015

Back in the early days of the 2014 football season, the Green Bay Packers were 1-2. Fans were upset. Head management started updating their resumes. Things were not looking good. After receiving a loss at the hands of the Detroit Lions — yes, you can understand the Pack’s frustration — quarterback Aaron Rodgers told the cheesehead faithful to "R-E-L-A-X." Rodgers calmly told the media and Green Bay nation everything will be all right. And he was right. The team finished 12-4, captured first place in the NFC North and went to the NFC Championship.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts and Laurels: Homecoming 2015 Edition

Nov. 5, 2015

Homecoming is many things for many people. It’s a time for reflection and nostalgia; a time for celebration; and, if you’re going to Gator Growl, a time for mediocre "indie" acts, former CW stars and rappers who released their best work 10 years ago. OH! *cue Andrew Dice Clay hand motion* Just kidding, T.I., we loved last year’s "About the Money," and we still love you.

OPINION | COLUMNS

From your Student Body President: Create long-lasting memories this Homecoming

Nov. 5, 2015

Hello Gators! I’m back for another issue of my new monthly column. I hope everyone survived midterms and is getting ready for a well-deserved Thanksgiving Break!

OPINION | COLUMNS

Butts, butts, butts: Anal is in, can I get a #ButtStuff2k15

Nov. 5, 2015

The 21st century has brought me a lot of things that I’m thankful for, among them being iPhones, the next Star Wars trilogy and butt stuff.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Tuesday’s elections were not a death knell for liberalism

Nov. 4, 2015

On Tuesday, news outlets were littered with headlines like "Liberals Are Losing the Culture Wars," "America may be in a reinforcing feedback loop of growing inequality and Republican rule" and "Houston decided it has a problem: Its LGBT nondiscrimination law." The weak attempt at humor in the last headline aside, all three of these articles were written in response to the Nov. 3 election, which was mostly concerned with local affairs and citizen initiatives. As the doom and gloom of these headlines illustrate, it was not a good day for progressive causes, which means it was an even worse day for Democratic politicians.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Far from peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Nov. 4, 2015

"We must think differently, look at things in a different way. Peace requires a world of new concepts, new definitions." — Yitzhak Rabin

OPINION | COLUMNS

Ann Coulter should not speak at UF

Nov. 4, 2015

On Monday, a fellow opinion columnist wrote about how he felt Ann Coulter should be a guest speaker on campus. While I would concede there is a need for more conservative speakers, I could not disagree more. Coulter is the last conservative speaker we need.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Democratic debate ignores the disenfranchisement in mass incarceration

Nov. 4, 2015

Earlier last month, the first of the Democratic Party debates for the 2016 U.S. presidential election commenced in Las Vegas, Nevada, broadcast on CNN with Anderson Cooper as the moderator.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Maybe neither religion nor atheism is all that bad

Nov. 3, 2015

According to a report released by the Pew Research Center on Tuesday, Americans are becoming less religious. An NPR report summarizing the findings included tidbits like "The share of Americans who say they are ‘absolutely certain’ that God exists has dropped 8 percentage points, from 71 percent to 63 percent, since 2007," and "The percentage of adults who describe themselves as ‘religiously affiliated’ has shrunk 6 points since 2007, from 83 percent to 77 percent." We could go on, but you get the idea.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Smathers Library mural shows UF history

Nov. 3, 2015

History and art combine in a recent campaign by the Smathers Libraries to restore one of UF’s largest wall murals.

OPINION | COLUMNS

American policy of procrastination

Nov. 3, 2015

We’ve all done it. There was some major paper to write or exam to study for that was left until the last minute. With all the time beforehand to do so, we procrastinate out of laziness, fear or even a mixture of the two. Now, a rushed essay or some crammed studying may not be such a big deal in the grand scheme of things. However, if we continue to add to a society of lazy individuals waiting to make the world a better place on a day that will never come, we will create — and have already created — very serious issues for society as a whole.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Grammar ain’t what it seems — don't cling to rules

Nov. 3, 2015

"HOSTESS: …she speaks English perfectly!

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Strongly held opinions are fine, but chill with reactionary ones

Nov. 2, 2015

From the first time the written word was translated to celluloid and up to the present, the phrase, "The book(s) was/is/are better" has long been a rallying cry for disgruntled literary fans. While there are many instances where an adaptation did justice to the source material — or in the cases of films such as "Blade Runner," "Fight Club" or "Jaws," surpassed it — there are just as many that not only failed to render the material in a compelling manner but managed to actively disrespect the original text. Films with this distinction include "Watchmen," the most recent adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" and "The Scarlet Letter."

OPINION | COLUMNS

Islam: Is there a need for reformation?

Nov. 2, 2015

In light of all the strife and tragedy that has emerged from the Middle East, many people look to Islam as the foremost cause of all this. Comedian and late-night talk show host Bill Maher professes quite frequently that Islam’s dogma is uniquely violent and backward. "When there’s this many bad apples, there’s something wrong with the orchard," Maher recites on his show.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Courage and the fear of movie theaters

Nov. 2, 2015

Since my mother’s application of the Mozart effect to me in utero, I’ve come to fruition as a reasonable man in most aspects of my life. I find a symmetrical existence in the virtues of temperance, modesty and magnanimity to name a few. (I took an ethics class one time, and I own a thesaurus.)

OPINION | COLUMNS

The Fest vs. Florida-Georgia: Not so different after all

Nov. 2, 2015

Our day-to-day lives are filled with divisive choices: Library West or Marston Science Library? Midtown or downtown? Each choice, while seemingly innocuous, comes with its own set of die-hard advocates that keep these meaningless rivalries alive.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: Mutual respect ought to trump differences

Nov. 1, 2015

Last week, The Atlantic published a video titled, "What Will This Era Be Remembered For?" as one part of a series of videos covering last month’s Washington Ideas Forum 2015. In the video, policy leaders such as U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro responded to the question by expressing hope that their respective areas of political interest would undergo meaningful progress.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Why study the humanities? There’s a good reason

Nov. 1, 2015

"También No-hacer es creador, pues no sólo de hacer vive el hombre"- -Gonzalo Arango

OPINION | COLUMNS

Controversial Ann Coulter must speak at UF

Nov. 1, 2015

I want to make my intentions perfectly clear: I want Ann Coulter, the conservative firebrand and provocateur, to speak at UF. In fact, the event should be required for everyone to attend. If a student values his or her education, listening to Coulter speak is a must.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Classroom assault highlights another discussion about race

Nov. 1, 2015

Assaulting a student should never be a disciplinary measure, especially when the offense is as harmless as using a cellphone in school. And yet, a police officer saw it fit to flip a girl’s desk over. Police officers are meant to keep people safe, so what went wrong?