Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Republicans can’t ignore Palin and D’Souza’s siren song

July 14, 2014

In “The Odyssey,” Odysseus must avoid the mythical sirens who lure sailors to their doom on the rocky shoreline of their island. Though the songstresses are enticing, Odysseus and his crew, with the assistance of some beeswax with which they filled their ears, force themselves to ignore the dangerous distraction in order to preserve their best interest.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Speaking out against Israeli attacks

July 14, 2014

The situation in Palestine that has taken place over the past four weeks has brought us to speak out against the unjust collective punishment being levied on the Palestinians by the state of Israel.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts & Laurels 7/9/14

July 9, 2014

If you’re reading this, congratulations: You haven’t been struck by lightning! But then again, the summer is young, and many more sudden thunderstorms are waiting to ruin your shoes/hair/day.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Truck drivers need a chimney sweep

July 9, 2014

A bizarre and nearly inexplicable trend is spreading across the country, and it’s destined to deal a blow to progressives and environmentalists throughout the U.S. It’s known as rolling coal, and it might the dumbest protest movement in the history of our great nation.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Drivers: Share the road with cyclists — it’s the law

July 7, 2014

On June 29, an older man in a red Jeep laid on his horn behind a Jimmy John’s bicycle deliverer on University Avenue.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Texting while driving is a social problem

July 7, 2014

In 2006, Florida voters showed overwhelming support for Article X, a state constitutional amendment that granted funding for a comprehensive tobacco education and prevention program. Article X would later birth Tobacco Free Florida, a hugely successful anti-tobacco campaign whose ads continue to make us cringe. If you haven’t seen the TV spots or billboards, the campaign uses graphic imagery — a girl drinking a beaker of formaldehyde, another girl peeling the skin from her cheek as payment for a pack of cigarettes and testimonials from cancer-stricken adults who were lifelong smokers — to drive home the message that a small action like smoking can harm yourself and others.

OPINION | COLUMNS

NSA needs overhaul, culpability check

July 7, 2014

Two months ago, PBS’s “Frontline” chronicled the conception of the National Security Agency and how the institution continues to affect our daily lives in a must-see documentary called “United States of Secrets.” While watching this special, one automatically envisions the Orwellian future illustrated in “1984.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Language, power and the politics of gay slurs

July 7, 2014

Words have power. This power is the reason “f**k” needs to be censored. It’s the reason being called a “whore” hurts. It’s why phrases like “That’s so gay,” and “Don’t be such a f****t,” are offensive.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Suing Obama: Symptom of DC insanity

July 2, 2014

In an effort to save American democracy from the evil tyrant, “King Obama the First,” Speaker of the House John Boehner revealed that he plans to sue the president for overstepping his constitutional authority.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts & Laurels 7/3/14

July 2, 2014

It’s Summer B 2014, and freshmen desperation is in the air: You can find them moving in herds of 50 across Midtown, clogging the Starbucks on campus and wearing head-to-toe orange and blue. This isn’t a dig, though, class of 2018. We were in your (brand-new) shoes at one point, and we’re imparting some wisdom to you: Nobody is too cool for an umbrella. Carry an umbrella. And call your mom once a while.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Hobby Lobby case filled with hypocrisy

June 30, 2014

Christian conservatives call the Supreme Court ruling granting three family-owned businesses the right to refuse to pay for certain forms of contraception for their employees based on their beliefs a victory for religious freedom.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Late Periods: Keep calm and carry on

June 30, 2014

I always look forward to my annual doctor’s appointment. I went to one a couple weeks ago, and it was a welcome reminder that my blood pressure is good and my allergies still suck. It was enjoyable, that is, until my doctor insisted on running a pregnancy test.

OPINION | COLUMNS

America should stay out of Iraq — among other things

June 30, 2014

America is suffering from what political scientist Greg Weiner calls “narcissistic polity disorder.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Before adopting, consider all possibilities

June 30, 2014

Two weeks after adopting Archer, our eight-week-old boxer puppy, my boyfriend and I came home from the UF Small Animal Hospital without him.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts & Laurels 6/19/14

June 18, 2014

Here it is, y’all: Your Summer-A-is-over-and-all-I-have-is-this-stupid-editorial edition of Darts & Laurels.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Time to reflect on history of Iraq War

June 18, 2014

Iraq, a country that for mind-boggling reasons the U.S. invaded in 2003, is in a state of disarray. In recent weeks, a terrorist group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has taken control over large swaths of the country, including Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Florida abortion bill is irresponsible, regressive

June 16, 2014

On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott passed HB 1047, which stipulates that pregnancies may not at any time be terminated in the state of Florida if doctors determine that the fetus could survive outside the womb.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Reacting to Cantor loss: Conservatives stuck in the past

June 16, 2014

A house divided cannot stand. If this is true, why should a homeowner, in order to strengthen his or her house’s foundation, rip out its beams, floorings and piers?

OPINION | COLUMNS

‘Let’s talk about all the good things’: Sex shouldn’t be taboo

June 16, 2014

When you tell someone you write about sex, you can expect a few standard responses: What do your parents think? You should write about me. Why sex?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Changing the future of higher education today

June 16, 2014

When my parents first came to America in the mid-1950s, higher education was an option rather than a necessity. By the time I attended the University of Florida in the early 1990s, times had changed and a college degree was vital to securing a well-paying job.