The Florida Frontier

April, 2008

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Pastor Disastor

Jaclyn Janero

Reverend Jeremiah Wright is a former pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois. In his sermons he had a knack for making offensive statements, which were widely publicized by the media when a connection to Barack Obama and Reverend Wright was made.

The following are actual statements from Reverend Wright's sermons... Read more.

Picking the Right Vice President

Frank Colosi, Jeff Ivey

While the Democrats continue to bicker amongst themselves between a liar and a racist, the Republicans are showing the nation which party has their priorities in order. As John McCain continues to win Americans over he will soon be faced with a difficult decision, who to select as his running mate. The choice of Vice President is a difficult one for any candidate; the person McCain chooses will help shape and direct his campaign to be the 44th President. Some will say that the Vice Presidential candidate play little role in the process because Americans are more focused on the main candidate, others believe that it is the Vice President's job to tie up loose ends and bring in votes from issues the main candidate does not have a strong record. We at the Frontier agree with the latter description and have made our own short list of possible candidates for McCain to pick from... Read more.

The Characteristics of a Divider

John Daly

A look at Obama's voting record and associations, and how they only serve to discredit his campaign of "unity"

Over the last few decades, the political partisanship in Washington has exploded into a fierce two party battle for power. With many Americans falling into the moderate category, the idea of a candidate who would "unite" the Country is very appealing. In the 2008 election, Barack Obama has taken the bold stance to be that candidate who will stand for change and "unite" the Country. However, does Obama really hold the background and credentials to unite? No. Read more.

Change Campaigns

Nicolas Fitzpatrick

Obama's campaign, and its historical counterparts

Barack Obama has fashioned himself as the newcomer in the 2008 presidential election. Gone, he says, are the days of partisan bickering and racial politics. To himself and his followers, Mr. Obama is a veritable political Messiah. The Messiah will bring about a new era in American politics and change the way America works. His platform is loosely held together by his inspirational planks of hope and change. Yet, for all the media attention that his hope and change message has brought about, very little light has been shown on what change we can expect, or what it really means... Read more.

Divided We Fall

Jessica Chasmar

A look at the liberal press and its loyal followers.

A couple weeks ago, Florida Frontier co-writers and I decided to hold a counter-protest against the usual Iraq War protestors at the Turlington Plaza on the University of Florida campus. Our sign said we supported our troops and we were winning the war. To my dismay, we were outnumbered about 10-1 and were faced with a strong liberal opposition. With spit and obscenities flying, I couldn't help but wonder: Why aren't more Americans supporting America? Read more.

The Good Recession

Ryan Pahota

In macroeconomics, a recession is defined as a decline in a nation's Gross Domestic Product, or negative real economic growth, for two or more successive quarters of the year. Because the United States compiles more than 1/5 of the global economy, the overshadowing recession cloud would bring down the global economy because if American Stock Market prices go down, the rest of the world follows suit. Also, if the American consumers are not "confident" in their currency, they will not demand imports from foreign countries, another strain on the global economy. Those statements give recession a negative connotation, notwithstanding the fact that there is a silver lining in the cloud of recession... Read more.

The New Robber Barons

Matt Mitchell

Debt is the slavery of the free.--Publilius Syrus

Nothing could illustrate the bizarre and inexcusably cruel nature of our current economic state, and the system that created it, than Congress and the Federal Reserve's response to the mortgage lending crisis. This month, tens of thousands more Americans will find themselves without a home due to their failure to keep up with their interest payments. Meanwhile, the banks and credit lenders, who irresponsibly sold these people loans they could never pay back, will be first in line to receive bailouts from the Federal Reserve. Bear Stearns, whose stocks dropped from over $170 per share to less than $2 per share, earned a $30 billion recovery loan from the Fed, while working Americans struggle to find apartments, fight repossession and search for reasons to live in spite of their newfound homelessness... Read more.

Hillary? Help Us

Bryan Griffin

A look at the true character of Hillary Clinton

How much do you need to know about a person to judge their character? What if I told you a person was indicted for underhanded deals involving a crooked law firm in Arkansas? What if I told you a person was involved in the unexplained suicide of a close friend and coworker? What if I told you a person makes up stories to get what they want, and unrightly, to gain sympathy? What if I told you a person was so rude, so unbecoming, so abhordily distasteful, that their closest friends came out with book after book, published works and journals, about that person's evils? What if I told you this person wanted to be president of the United States - represent you and me on the international stage and in the eyes of the world? Of course, this is Mrs. Clinton... Read more.

Does the World Hate America?

Ryan Pahota

There is belief in the United States (usually stemming from the left) that the world hates America, and America is the bully of the world. These ideas are strong in the Democratic platform of Sen. Barack Obama, who wishes to go abroad to the Middle East to have "talks" (we have seen how successful that has worked by Democratic leaders) with Iran in order to gain some respect in the world. These calls for "change" thus begs the question: Does the world hate the U.S.? Read more.

An Ostrich Farmer's Nightmare

Patrick Flanagan

Surely you've noticed that when you go to the grocery store, your bread is tax-free, but your beer is not. That's because in Florida, essentials like food, medicine, and rent, among other things, are exempt from the sales tax.

But would you have guessed that ostrich feed is sales tax-exempt? If you tax livestock feed, the argument goes, you tax ostriches twice: once during their growth, and once again when they are finally sold. This, as any member of the Florida Farm Bureau will tell you, is unfair to farmers and bad for the economy. But seriously, ostrich feed? Super Bowl sky box tickets are also tax-exempt. Figure that one out... Read more.

Oceans Don't Lie

Thomas Sowell

Let's begin with a simple fact. The World Meteorological Organization, on April 4th, just last week, announced that global temperatures will be lower in 2008 then in 2007. You read that right, lower. So where does all of Al Gore's talk about climate change and "global warming" alarmism fit in? It doesn't. There are two main contentions that have been absent throughout the discourse on global warming. The first is that it is actually occurring, but the second, and a more poignant one, is that global warming would be disastrous. In fact, many experts believe that global warming could not only be positive, but necessary... Read more.

A Soldier's Perspective

J.M.M.

Five years ago I was on my way to be apart of history. I was part of the initial invasion of Iraq. I did not know it at the time, but my life was going to be forever changed. My unit, the 2nd Battalion 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, was at the front of the 21-day drive to Baghdad. Just to give you a little history of this unit, it has been in all U.S. wars and battles since 1798. The 7th Infantry Regiment has served in more campaigns than any other Infantry Regiment in the U.S. Army. Several U.S. presidents, such as Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk, have served as commanders of the regiment. It was my honor to serve in such a prestigious unit and add to the growing of its history... Read more.

Critical Funding Cuts Hurt Colleges, Majors

Nicholas Fitzpatrick

Florida's higher education financial fiasco

Fridays bring groups of high school students to the University of Florida campus. The prospective students walk the campus listening to the overenthusiastic but lovable Cicerones. The Cicerones explain the noteworthy buildings and answer questions. I never took one of these tours so I decided to listen to one for a few stops. The guide was great and I learned quite a few things that I didn't previously know. There's something that these bright eyed kids and their parents didn't stroll past on their tour, the university accountants. The University of Florida is in a financial crisis and our future classmates are in for a big surprise... Read more.