Bureaucratic orange tape

Loyal Floridian that I am, I was pleased to read this week that a Florida icon has finally received its due. Gov. Jeb Bush has declared the orange to be the state fruit.

As the lead on that story conveys, loyal Floridians like me were shocked to learn that the orange was not already among the pantheon of state symbols. I've talked about this with friends and family who are not lucky enough to live in Florida, and they invariably insert snide jokes as to what -- or who -- who should be the "state fruit." Really, though, neither the tangelo nor any fruity individuals put up much of a fight. It must be the orange.

My Florida pride is cresting this week because UF has called on me to prove my Florida residency. This comes after two consecutive semesters in which they considered me an in-state student, no questions asked. Never mind the bureaucratic thought process behind this reversal. I may be a Tar Heel born and a Tar Heel bred, but these days, I'm a loyal Floridian, devoted to the Gators, peninsulas, urban sprawl, love bugs, lizards, space shuttles, flip flops, generous open-records laws and a lack of income taxes. Hooray for the Sunshine State!