The Florida Frontier - September, 2008 ------------------------------- Article Index I. It's Only Free Speech Until it Offends the Left, by Johnathan Lott II. Sycophants for Obama, by Ed Harmon III. The Importance of Balance, by Frank Colosi IV. What it Means to Be a Part of the Frontier, by Nicolas Fitzpatrick V. An Answer to UF's Liberal Media, by Bryan Griffin VI. The Power of Polling, by Bryan Griffin ------------------------------- I. It's Only Free Speech Until it Offends the Left by Johnathan Lott I was sitting at the College Republicans table on the Plaza of the Americas on Tuesday when a very rude individual came up to me. He said he noticed the hammer and sickle we had put in the hands of our large Obama cut out. He said that “Obama is not a communist” and that “we should take it down.” I proceeded to tell him that we have the right to our opinion and our right to free speech, and it was only just a bit of tongue-in-cheek in the first place. Looking at Obama’s health care and tax plans, after all, it’s difficult to argue that the massive redistribution of wealth makes it anything but a socialist idea. The individual disagreed. He said that “lies” were not protected speech and we shouldn’t be allowed to put it up. He walked away for a moment, then walked back, and ripped the hammer and sickle out of Obama’s hands and stormed away. I had to get up and chase him down to get them back. We once again see that the far left hates free speech. We saw it last year with Obsession, and we saw it again on Tuesday. Radical liberals cannot tolerate opinions that are different from their own, and they will and do use force to suppress it. Once again I affirm that this radical individual is not representative of the entire left; a few Obama supporters who witnessed the incident kindly apologized for his behavior. And yet this radical individual reveals the gritty truth. Contrary to their own proclamations, the Democratic Party is NOT the party of free speech. Liberals supported unconstitutional campaign finance laws, they supported the unconstitutional “fairness” doctrine, and, of course, they supported stealing other people’s property because it sent a message that was contrary to their beliefs. Think about the actions of the candidates and parties, not their words, in November. Otherwise, when “offending someone” becomes illegal, you might regret your vote. ------------------------------- II. Sycophants for Obama by Ed Harmon In this campaign the print media, like the Gainesville Sun, and its parent, The New York Times, have acted as shameless sycophants for the Barack Obama campaign. Little attention or prominence has been accorded to an in-depth analysis of the many positions that Sen. Obama - who the media always describes as a brilliant orator - has taken and reversed; on abortion, gun control, capital punishment, FISA, school vouchers, the status of Jerusalem, faith-based federal programs, public financing of his campaign, willingness to debate Sen. McCain, welfare, NAFTA and so on. Sen. John McCain has changed his positions on offshore drilling (I wish he would change them with regard to ANWR) but admitted the same and said that the price of gasoline had to be considered. People will accept and respect that, and they have done so. It is almost humorous how often your paper [the Gainesville Sun] airs views that the McCain campaign has been inept. To the contrary, for Sen. McCain to be tied with Obama in most major polls - despite Obama and the “Move On-Soros” crowd having outspent McCain by hundreds of millions of dollars, despite Obama having the unbridled adoration of the major national TV and print media, and the almost unanimous support of academia - indicates that, maybe, the American people do believe that character, integrity and competence, over time may actually be prerequisites for the presidency. McCain has shown, not talked about, the ability to reach across the partisan divide, despite the political cost to him, time and time again. Obama has never done so, being the most extreme liberal in the U.S. Senate. Democrats should recognize that Congress’ 9 percent approval rating has been earned and start to address the real needs of the American public. ------------------------------- III. The Importance of Balance by Frank Colosi As the Frontier enters its third year, it has never been so important to ensure that the distortion spouted in the mainstream media be usurped and exposed. It is important that we the students are not brainwashed from every angle, including in the classroom, into believing in a “false messiah”. As most conservatives know once you break down the lies and stereotypes put forth by our American media you are left with little fact and mostly opinion. In the coming months the election will only become more heated and contested, and it is guaranteed that mud will be slung; the question is if it will stick. Not much is known by the general public about where Obama has come from, and his autobiography doesn’t help in the least. He has on many occasions past and present bent the truth to suit his needs. Look to the Frontier to collect the information that is being discovered everyday by true journalists doing their jobs of finding facts, not hoping on the Obama bandwagon. Questions like ‘Are Obama’s plan feasible?’ and ‘What is his legislative voting record?’ need to be answered. That’s why we at the Frontier are working on a Barack Obama Handbook, a guide from where he started in the corrupt political culture of Chicago with friends like Bill Ayers and Tony Rezko to the new moderate appearance he is attempting to pull off. While the race to the White House may be topic number one on everyone’s minds issues like global warming, second amendment rights, and liberal bias will still be covered, and for some topics the Frontier is the only place to get a view of the right side of the argument on campus. Get involved, join the staff. Help break the dominance of liberals in the media, and for the sake of our country, pick up a Frontier with every other media source you choose to read, to get the full spectrum. ------------------------------- IV. What it Means to Be a Part of the Frontier by Nick Fitzpatrick Barbeque, beer, books, and John McCain? This fall is a special time for the University of Florida. Not only are the Gators back on the football field doing what they do best, it is election year. Most fall semesters students only have to worry about getting a good tailgate spot and making good grades, but this fall politically involved students need to stand up and be heard, or risk having to say the phrase “President Obama.” That’s why the Florida Frontier is seeking new writers, editors, and staff. The Florida Frontier was founded to fill a huge void in the student media on campus. The University of Florida has always prided itself on its principles of open-mindedness and the indispensable exercise of free speech. However, before the Frontier there was no conservative newspaper in the county, student or otherwise. Since it began, this newspaper has expanded to five newsstands on campus and a distribution of over a thousand copies a month. Students and faculty alike have taken warmly to the addition of a different viewpoint on campus. Whether liberal or conservative, most people can agree that having as many viewpoints and ideas as possible has many benefits, both pedagogical and for democracy. The Florida Frontier is a non-profit newspaper and is legally restricted from endorsing any candidate; however there are many benefits to joining the team. College students are notorious for holding one of two political views: liberal or apathetic. The Frontier has no desire to change the minds of the ill-minded liberals, instead it exhausts its resources informing the apathetic and motivating the sizable, yet quiet, conservative population. By joining the Frontier, you can be apart of, to steal a line from John McCain, something greater than self. This newspaper advocates freedom of ideas, free markets, and family values that you aren’t ashamed to tell your grandmother about. When students pick up the Florida Frontier, they are reminded that they aren’t alone. They are given an oasis in the desert of liberal media. Most importantly, they are encouraged to vote and to be an active participant in this experiment called American democracy. Do not let the government bureaucrats called professors or the obnoxious students that are trying to relive 1968 get you down; they are wrong. Che Guevara is a murderer, collectivism is not good, and you do not need to be ashamed for longing for prosperity and liberty. Conservatives are not usually activists, but this election is too important to not speak your mind. The next president will nominate at least two Supreme Court justices, must significantly change the tax codes, and he must lead us to victory over our most formable enemy since the British crown of the 1700s: radical Islam. Don’t forget to pass on the Frontier to any friends who might be interested. Lastly, consider this quote from a great man and great conservative, the late Charlton Heston: “They prefer the America they built, where you could pray without feeling naive, love without being kinky, sing without profanity, be white without feeling guilty, own a gun without shame, and raise your hand without apology. They are the men and women who long for you to get some guts, stand on principle, and lead them to victory in this cultural war. They are sick and tired of national social policy that originates on Oprah, and they are ready for you to pull the plug.” ------------------------------- V. An Answer to UF's Liberal Media by Bryan Griffin With more and more people, especially young adults, polishing their political opinions with the help of MTV, Hollywood celebrities, and the liberal media, it is my strongest opinion that the UF campus needs the Florida Frontier now, more than ever. The Florida Frontier is a news journal that covers conservative topics, and presents the right side of the argument that is too often overlooked by the blue-bleeding media. The UF campus is already littered with extreme leftist papers, and more will inevitably form to hypnotize apathetic students with promises of “universal health care” and “a world without war”. Their notions and principles are ideal, unrealistic, and unfounded. While both conservatives and liberals want to take care of the sick and have “world peace”, the means to the ultimate goal are disputed. A conservative view believes that the government should not redistribute wealth, but private organization and charity should care for our sick. And, while war is never good, it is sometimes necessary to free oppressed people from tyrannical despots and protect our country from suicidal fundamentalists. To conclude, let it be known that the Frontier is here to stay; here to counter the left and present the right; here to stand for our liberty, our freedom, and our country. ------------------------------- VI. The Power of Polling by Bryan Griffin According to my survey, 66% of people support Obama whereas only 33% support Mccain, so Obama would probably win the election in November. Unbeknownst to you, the reader, I only asked three people. I also asked three people in a liberally inclined demographic: on a college campus. Does this accurately reflect the feeling of the American people? While the answer is clear, the liberal media still pull this trick all of the time. Take any introductory statistics class, and you will realize the subtleties of bias that creep into every survey and poll. Like proponents of Global Warming, those seeking the answers slant their information collection methods to match their opinions, and towards how they want the outcome to show. Everything the mainstream media does is an agenda push. While the one casualty of the day makes the front page, the success of the troop surge lands on page 14. Whenever a situation is presented, it’s first prefaced with “under harsh criticism for the last attempt” or something or another to push you to a pre derived notion about a topic, especially when covering a conservative politician or issue. I say this as a warning, please take mainstream news polls with a grain of salt, because that’s about as much professionalism as is behind them. When Good Morning America asked Cheney how he felt about the polls that showed more Americans against the war than for it, he had the right response. “So”? -------------------------------