Quick Commentary: Apple stands up for user privacy

By Miranda Holloway

Quick Commentary is a periodical critiquing of current events by the Daily Illini Opinions section’s editors. Today’s topics include Apple, Jeb Bush, the upcoming Champaign thaw and a new strain of dog flu.

Apple stands up to the FBI

Alma Approved

The FBI asked Apple to create a backdoor entry into an iPhone’s operating system to aid in acquiring information against a terrorist implicated in a December shooting in San Bernardino, Calif. Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote an open letter to the company’s customers on Tuesday stating that the company would not bow to the FBI and help open the phone, because it would put the security of every iPhone at risk. This issue is incredibly complicated and ethically challenging, but it’s one in which we stand, for now, on the side of the right to privacy. Unless a method of acquiring data from the terrorist’s phone is created that doesn’t allow the government to access anyone’s private data, there should remain a boundary between the iPhones of the world and our government’s eyes. Hopefully, that method is found.

Jeb Bush should delete his account

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DI Denied

Governor of Florida and still technically a presidential candidate Jeb Bush did a bad tweet. Tuesday, Bush posted a photo of a handful with his name engraved on it. Regardless of how you feel about the prominence of gun ownership in America, it should go without saying that no self-respecting candidate for a presidential race should be tweeting out photos of his or her gun. Please delete your account, and your presidential campaign, Jeb Bush.

The thaw is coming

Alma Approved

The environment is giving us a gift. It is unclear why, but it’s happening. For the next few days, your face isn’t going to hurt because it is simply exposed to the air. There will be grass instead of ice and frost. A bird will probably sing. Is this a sign of the impending meltdown of the earth? Yeah probably, but at least ice crystals aren’t going to form when you go outside with your hair wet. It’s a give and take.

Our pets’ heads are falling off

DI Denied

This is the worst thing to possibly ever happen. A strain of H3N2 dog flu is sweeping across America. The illness can be deadly and causes infected pups to cough uncontrollably. Luckily there is a vaccination that is available at most vets, but what did dogs do deserve this? Dogs are so much better than people and have done nothing but love us and create really popular Instagram accounts. Making them sick is so uncalled for.