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Last week, “UVU Review” published an opinions oiece I wrote called, “I Have a Permit For This.” The piece concerned an incident in which the president of the College Republicans was detained by campus police officers because he was openly carrying a handgun on campus. The article examined the potential limitations and universality of the second amendment, its application on the campus of a state school, as well as the importance of both free speech and proper firearm training.

Within just a handful of days, the uvureview.com comment board for the article lit up with, at the time of this writing, 19 comments, the vast majority of which took issue with the opinions articulated in the article.

This is great.

Despite my article being nearly-universally disdained by the commenters, I could not be more pleased with the reaction. Because there was a reaction. The News, Culture, Sports, and V sections of the paper are there to inform and entertain about events concerning UVU students and our community. The Opinions section, though, is for just that: expressing opinions.

Commenters, if you disagree vehemently with an opinion that is posited in an article, please, keep commenting. That’s what it’s there for. But if you really want your voice heard, if you really want to combat an opposing viewpoint, write for the paper. Write a response and submit it to us.

There’s a pervasive misconception that media, including (if not especially) “UVU Review,” is run by aObama-worshipping, socialism-propagating homosexuals. While about 80 percent of our staff is comprised of that exact type of person (kidding), the paper is substantially more varied than that.

I’m Assistant Opinions Editor and, if forced, would classify myself as a fiscally conservative, socially liberal independent.  I support the free market, gay marriage, and, despite what some may believe, the second amendment, and I’m opposed to the existing health care bill, censorship of any kind, and the Twilight books.  Hell, I even voted for Bush in 2004 and only kind of regret it.

If you’re concerned with potential censorship based on your views being different from your editors, fear not! On Dec. 8, 2009, I wrote an article criticizing Sarah Palin’s politics, as well as her overwhelmingly annoying media presence that, I argued, she doesn’t deserve. On Jan. 25, 2010, we published a response to my article, where an adjunct for the Behavioral Sciences department took me to task, suggesting that I needed to “straighten out [my] political thinking.” And we were happy to publish it!

This week, you can begin applying for positions on the editorial staff of “UVU Review” for the 2010-2011 academic year. The best way to get your voice out there is to apply. Get involved!  Contribute weekly!  The point of something like the Opinions section is to open up a dialogue about the issues and events concerning UVU students like you.  Don’t like where you think the paper’s head is at? Help change it.

“UVU Review” is only reflective of the students involved with it.  So if it doesn’t reflect you, jump on in.  The water’s fine.