Opinion

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OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Alligator distorts meaning of Rebel flag

By Ian R. Moore | Dec. 8, 2009

The editorial “Road Rebel: Confederate plate no debate for state” struck me as a skewed and misinformed perception of what the Confederate flag or those who wish to fly it believe in. The fact that someone is willing to say “those who would buy it already have jacked-up pickups with mud tires…” shows that the only reason the confederate flag being flown is frowned upon is because of a large generalization to which the answer can be found in a middle school history class. The civil war was not fought on the grounds of “racism, bigotry and backward thought.”

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Darts & Laurels

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Dec. 7, 2009

It’s not only the end of the week here at the Alligator, but the end of one great semester. We laughed, we cried... we got called names, and we cried some more (Well, a few made us laugh). But the saddest part of all is having to say goodbye.

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Fake Tans & Flip-Flops

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Dec. 7, 2009

Our glowing governor, Charlie Crist, is bent on convincing Floridians that his ultra-conservative views will save the country from financial ruin.

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Re: Rights: Accuracy can prevent trivial technicalities

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Dec. 7, 2009

“You have the right — in your anxious and confused state — to try to figure out what rights you may or may not have by deciphering the ambiguous statement I am currently reading in a robot-like voice — as if my true intentions are not to inform you of anything, but rather to show my disdain for civil liberties and humanity in general.”

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

First year doesn’t set tone for future

Dec. 7, 2009

A question for first-years here at UF: How was your semester?

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OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Column a ‘pick-me-up’ for readers

By Brad Bruggeman | Dec. 7, 2009

Throughout the semester, I’ve always looked forward to Wednesday’s column. The sardonic humor underlying Hilary Lehman’s commentary on anything from the benefits of being judgmental to the lack of literary merit in the “Twilight” series has always been a welcome Hump Day pick-me-up.

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OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Alligator lacks support for Gators

By Randall Lockhart | Dec. 7, 2009

After reading the Alligator sports page, I was greatly disappointed. Not because of our stinging loss to Alabama, but because of the lack of support. Nothing spoke of support for our team. I was at the Southeastern Conference Championship Game, and I stayed until the last second, cheering for our team. You could tell Tim Tebow and the rest of the team were crushed, and it pissed me off when Alabama fans cheered at Tim’s crying face.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Govt. should put rights first

By Christina Garcia de los Rios | Dec. 7, 2009

The following is an excerpt from a letter sent to New York State Sen. Tom Libous.

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OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Public reaction to loss disappoints

By Lindsay Waldron UF criminology senior | Dec. 7, 2009

Three things to describe Tim Tebow: amazing athlete, outstanding character and 100 percent human. With humanity comes imperfection. Shocking, right? 

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Road Rebel: Confederate plate no debate for state

Dec. 6, 2009

As it turns out, the longest battle of the Civil War was not Gettysburg, or Marietta, or Yorktown.

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

'Mock' Trial

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Dec. 6, 2009

Italy’s courts threw the book at American college student Amanda Knox on Saturday, sentencing her to 26 years in prison for murdering her British roommate.

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OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Reader thanks columnist for writings

By Sophia Aiguesvives | Dec. 6, 2009

Joe Dellosa,

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OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Graduate students deserve pay increase

By Luke Rostant | Dec. 6, 2009

I am writing today to voice my opposition to the creation of any fee for the restoration or expansion of the Reitz Union.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

2009: Year of distractions, scandals

Dec. 6, 2009

2009 hasn’t left us yet, but it’s not too soon to look back on the last of what Time Magazine recently dubbed “The Decade from Hell.”

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OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Pedestrians must look out for cyclists

By Lily Bruns | Dec. 6, 2009

It’s about that time for another complaint from the beleaguered Gainesville cyclist. I come to you with scabby palms and bruised shins. The cause of my pain? This time around, an innocent pedestrian crossing the street.

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OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Humor column lacks humor

By Ryan Scheb | Dec. 6, 2009

I would like to express my disgust at Erik Voss’ Avenue column, “Killing Christmas spirit.” Not only was it lacking humor, but it was simply revolting. If the Alligator must resort to publishing stories about the intentional public embarrassment of another human being for its “humor” column, it needs a new comedian.

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OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Reader fails to detect sarcasm

By Caitlin Niblick | Dec. 6, 2009

Thank you, Mr. Maple, for bringing Tiger Woods’ affair to light for everyone who had unfortunately missed out on the “media sleaze machine” coverage. I’d have to say that yours was by far worse. Not only did you cite the same news sources you bashed, but you also managed to do so in a way far more offensive than the mainstream media. You refuted the media’s attack on Woods’ affair with a cocktail waitress by saying his actions were only really wrong because he didn’t choose the right type of woman to sleep with.

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Darts & Laurels

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Dec. 3, 2009

So you’re finally ready to dump all the knowledge you (hopefully) absorbed over the semester in a cathartic flurry of finals, term papers and unnecessarily harsh “Rate My Professors” rants?

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Obama is right to weigh options in war

By Nick Miner | Dec. 3, 2009

In a recent interview, Dick Cheney attacked the president for “agonizing” over the Afghanistan strategy, saying: “Every time [Obama] delays, defers, debates, changes his position, it begins to raise questions: Is the commander in chief really behind what [the military has] been asked to do?”

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Indian Burn: American Indians need health care reform

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Dec. 2, 2009

The health care system that American Indians rely on is a patchwork of half measures and empty promises.