Special Thanks Writers:
Agata Tylki Anthony Stonestreet Bethan Rose Jenkins Eva Kwatek Jenna Dowling Lauren Daly Lizzie Beckett Maisie Williams Nicole Garcia Rose Baker Samuel Capper Saoirse O’Connor Sarah Harris Sarah Thompson
Designers:
Sarah Thompson
Proofreaders: Rachel Jefferies Molly Wyatt Sarah Thompson Josie Von Jascheroff
Editors’ Note
Picking “innocence” as the theme was as exciting as it was daunting. Innocence can mean many different things to many different people. For some people, being a virgin is highly positive whereas others see it as embarrassing. Some see innocence as posing a quality, whereas others see it as lacking experience. Personally, I think innocence is highly overrated. Take the female hymen as an example. All kinds of cultures, religions and households attach SO much importance the loss of virginity. But did you know that the hymen isn’t an irreplaceable border that is destroyed during the first intercourse but rather a thin layer of skin that ALREADY has holes in it? It never actually tears and leaves us but instead stretches. Personally, I found that piece of information very consoling. I think our minds are programmed for nostalgia and that’s totally okay. For me though, innocence is a very vague term, which drags lots of meaning with it and is therefore not as important to me.
Sarah Thompson
Josie Von-Jascheroff When asked to summarise “innocence” my thoughts immediately go to babies, tiny fluffy animals, and people naive to the “sin” in the world around them. The tragedy is that - eventually - we all lose our innocence, be it through sex, violence, crime, or otherwise. I find solace in the fact that “loss of innocence” is so commonly linked to disobedience of religious teachings (e.g Sex before marriage) and thus it does not apply to me as I was not raised following any religion. However, even in an increasingly secularised society I still find myself drawn to a loss of innocence through exploring the taboo; does this make me “impure”, or merely a scientist, curious about experimenting with the world around me? In this issue we discuss what really makes a grown-up, and we share some of our favourite childhood memories. Remember, innocence means a wide variety of things, but don’t let one person’s definition of it hold you back from your dreams.
Co
ontents 6-7
- Playground Games
8-9
- The Birds and the Bees: When should we have Sex Ed?
10-11
- When do we grow up?
12-13
- Childhood Magic: The importance of Santa Claus.
14-15
- “When I grow up�: Our Childhood dreams.
16-17
- GCSEs or Candidacy?: Should we lower the voting age?
18-19
- The Death Penalty: Is it ever justified?
20-21
- Childish insult generator
3
Playground
Games Words by Agata Tylki, Samuel Capper, Josie von Jascheroff, and Sarah Thompson
7 Baba Yaga is watching:
A minimum of four players are required for play, one of the children is Baba Yaga (a character of Slavic folklore). The others stand at a distance of approximately 15 m from the Baba Yaga on a drawn line. Baba Yaga turns her back on the players and says: “One, two, three, Baba Yaga is looking” and turns to the players. At this moment, the children freeze. If one moves, Baba Yaga eliminates them from the game. Then - again - Baba Yaga turns away and the situation repeats itself. The child who is the first to reach Baba Yaga wins. By Agata Tylki
Manunt:
Without a shadow of a doubt manhunt is by far the greatest game ever invented. Running around the playground (or occasionally the woods near my house) trying to avoid capture was absolutely exhilarating. The thought that at any second ‘it’ would appear to hunt you down was terrifyingly great; and the joy I got from escaping, and the pride from capturing everyone was amazing – probably helped by the fact that I was really good at it. Some brilliant playground memories were made playing manhunt, and that I cemented my friendship with my best friend playing this game reinforces its greatness. By Samuel Capper
‘Boys catch girls’ (Aka Gender politics and a first attempt at interacting with the opposite gender)
Whether we acknowledge it or not, the way we act as children is a direct representation of subtle cultural influences we were exposed to. I went to an international school in Berlin, Germany and my ultimate favourite recess game was a game we called ‘boys catch the girls’. Its title is, in fact, extremely revealing of what the game is all about. Being an evolutionary descendent of ‘catch’, ‘boys catch the girls’ is far more complex and requires careful strategic planning. I’m talking safe houses, prison breaks, and POW exchanges. The schoolyard turned into our battlefield. In essence, you have two teams, each based on gender (whether you felt a different gender was completely irrelevant). One team would catch the other. In theory, the teams would take turns catching each other. But being the Disney generation of male heroes saving princesses, the boys always chased the girls. At the time, no one questioned the gender politics. We only copied what we saw happen around us. But despite its debatable political correctness, the thrill of ‘boys catch the girls’ will forever colour my childhood memories. By Josie von Jascheroff
Handstands:
This was a very simple game which haunted my primary school life; all you needed was a patch of grass and a few willing members. In this game the leader stands at the front of the group and sings a tune which ends with “3, 2, 1!”. Following this each of the players performs a handstand, and the leader decides who did the best handstand, with the winner becoming the new leader. I’m sure this was great fun for the kids who could do handstands but - for the girl who is now frequently compared to a noodle - it was not exactly my idea of a good time. By Sarah Thompson
The Birds and the
Should we have Sex Ed les In a world of technology and lack of innocence either way, is it really necessary to put so much emphasis on early sex education? Sex education virgins contemplate. I remember when I was around 11 asking my mother why I couldn’t get changed in the same room as my brothers. Cue a very awkward 20-minute conversation, which ironically occurred while we were picking apples, the symbolism right. I guess it’s the question all parents face, when exactly do you tell your innocent cherubs what mummy and daddy get up to when they are asleep? Certainly don’t delude yourself they aren’t going to find out. It’s becoming increasingly common for school to run sex education lessons from very young ages. I recently read an article that said children as young as four were being taught about the birds and the bees, and honestly, I think it’s a sign that parents and teachers are worrying too much. Kids don’t care about sex. They don’t even notice the difference between their girl friends and their boy friends, they want to run around and eat and maybe say the odd naughty word. If anything, we should be trying to prolong this state of blind friendship. If you want to teach them something, teach them about respect In recent days Matt Damon has ‘spoken up’ about how hard it is to be a man in a world where women are speaking out against the sexual harassment and abuse they face in both professional and personal circles. Teach kids that no matter what they protect their friends, and to listen when they’re hurt. Sex education is important, it’s awkward and messy but it’s important. But, teach them when you notice that they start showing an interest in it and believe me it will be obvious. Teach kids about helping each other, and the rest will surely follow.
When I l educatio And alth we neve when I e worked the new what th out wha details. In some helped m instead sexual e Althoug dying to care abo I think t them wa age of 10 up some children and afte It’s not t you’re b to an ag for you t in a clas surname As I said parents is impor obviousl I strongl ways an a young
e Bees
ssons?
9
Words by Sarah Harris and Saoirse O-Connor
look back and think about the fact that I never had any form of sexual on, I’m quite shocked. You see, I went to a fairly religious primary school. hough we got the “you may start to notice changes in your body” talk, er actually got one about how the birds and the bees get it on. Of course, ended up going to a different secondary school, everyone knew how sex and would often make crude and inappropriate jokes to boast about wly learned information. I would laugh along and pretend I understood hey were on about. Eventually, as time went on, I pretty much figured at goes on under the sheets and even managed to learn some other juicy
ways, I’m glad I never had the sex talk. Learning at my own pace me to somewhat maintain my innocence and enjoy my childhood of wanting to be like the cool girls, in year 7, who would rant about the escapades that would supposedly happen in the last row at the cinema. gh it was useful to know what the big deal was, it wasn’t something I was o learn about and I don’t think it’s something children would really even out if there wasn’t such a huge pressure to learn about the whole process. that giving children sex ed lessons at such a young age can often result in anting to go out and experience it all for themselves. Of course, at the 0 or 11, you can’t really go home and ask your mum if she can pick you e condoms when she does the weekly grocery shop. And a lot of the time, n will find themselves doing something they will go on to regret later on er the heat of the moment dies down. to say that I think we should never have sex education, as at some point, bound to develop a curiosity but I do feel that it should be postponed ge when it is crucial. Sex is something that should be enjoyed and allows to connect with someone in an intimate way but having to sit down ss with 20 of your fellow students when you can barely spell your own e makes it all seem a bit scary and intimidating. d, it will become essential at some point and we can’t solely rely on to give you ‘the talk’ so having sex ed as part of an academic curriculum rtant, but it should be taught in a way that teaches you to enjoy it and ly, you need to be at a certain level of maturity to understand that. So, ly agree that having sex ed at a later age would be beneficial in many nd would allow people to have a much more positive outlook on sex from ger age and practice it in a safe and appropriate manner.
When do we
Grow
?
Some of Q3’s writers share when they believe we really become “adults” (if ever...).
Answering the question “when do you become a grown-up” is awfully difficult. Mostly because a large number of things can be
referred to as being “grown-up”. Moving out? That’s grown up. Finding a job? Grown up. Cooking and somehow managing to avoid food poisoning? Relatively speaking, that’s grown up too. So, when do you become a “grown-up”? Some (namely relatives at tedious family parties, hope you had good holidays) would say you’re not truly an adult before you get married, buy a house and have kids. But that can hardly be true, can it? Many people, for whatever reason, don’t want these things. And they’re still adults, right? So, maybe it has something to do with no longer depending on those who brought you up? After all, you’re at uni, you’re a student, you are probably more independent than you have ever been before (own accommodation, etc). But even still, some rely on money from their parents to get by. So, according to this definition, to be a “grown-up”, you have to be entirely self-sufficient. But even there, some people can’t afford to live without assistance from others. Yet they are still “grown-up”. Maybe there is no such thing as “growing up”. Just take life one day at a time with a vague plan for the future. - Anthony Stonestreet
What does it actually mean to grow up? Is growing up defined by your level of
maturity or independence, or maybe financial stability? Perhaps it is biology that determines the stage at which we become fully fledged adults. I think that all of these factors put together contribute to what an adult is supposed to be: mature, independent, financially stable, and responsible. Yet, perhaps the concept of being ‘grown up’ is more of a feeling – when you actually feel grown up. This feeling comes to people at different ages, and there is nothing wrong with that, because for some it takes longer to become independent or mature due to their circumstances and upbringing. In addition, all of these aspects of our lives come at different times, so the next time someone tells you to ‘grow up’, you can ask them to be more specific- do they mean for you to be more mature, or financially stable? Overall, I do not believe that there is an age, or a defining moment at which you become ‘grown up’, because since the moment we are born we begin to grow, physically and emotionally, and the latter never stops; so don’t be scared of growing up because you’re already doing it. - Eva Kwatek
Is being an “adult” a specific age? Or maybe when we finally have the job we’ve always aspired
to have. Obviously there are times in our life when we appear more ‘grown up’ as there is a clear difference between the actions of a five-year old to those of a fifty-year old, but does that necessarily mean a fifty-year old is grown up? When you scroll through social media you are bombarded with posts popularising ideals such as ‘can I skip to the part when I’m married with a house and three kids?’ or, ‘I can’t wait until I can watch my kids opening their presents on Christmas morning!’ and so on, but does this really reflect being grown up? In most people’s minds growing up means reaching an end goal or aspiration such as having a family or a successful job. We set ourselves goals to reach and think “when I’ve done all of that I’ll be grown up”, but once we’ve achieved them we still feel the same so we set new goals, meaning growing up is continuous even if we don’t realise it. I don’t think there is any time when we are truly ‘grown up’, as there is no criteria we have to reach in order to be so, and realistically we always have more to learn. - Jenna Dowling
Every day we’re growing up and maturing. The beauty of life is that we learn something new
every day, even if it is as mundane as milk being cheaper in Lidl than Tesco (it is by the way, I’ve checked). However, it’s said that we learn more in the first eight years of our lives than any other time, so the question arises as to when we can reach a level of maturity in which most of our decisions are rational enough that we rely less on the support of others. Age restrictions imply that by the time a person reaches the indicated age they will be mature enough for the item in question. The obvious age restrictions are on alcohol, cigarettes, and gambling, however the age of purchasing pornography is also restricted to eighteen, when the age of consent is sixteen. It strikes me as bizarre that the law views a sixteen-year-old as mature enough to be having a form of sexual relations but not mature enough to watch other people doing it (albeit perhaps giving unrealistic body expectations). In my opinion, the legality of maturity contradicts itself in places. Puberty hits people at varying times, so naturally the physical and emotional changes that come with that would alter when a person becomes ‘grown up’ enough to be independent. Changes to personal circumstances can also mean that a person grows up faster. Sometimes if a family member is sick, a child gains more responsibility than other children their age, therefore reaching maturity quicker. I felt very immature at school compared to some of my peers because I was the youngest child, therefore not developing protectiveness and responsibility over others as well as some of my friends. I believe that the biggest change to a person’s maturity level comes from living away for the first time. Moving to university involved huge changes for me, including having to cook for myself, wake myself up and not having parents to lecture me about deadlines. I suddenly became responsible for my own health, safety, and security (creds to uni halls for that quote on my mirror) so - for myself at least - this is the point in life where I have matured and grown up the most. - Rose Baker
I’m getting close to my 21st birthday, and I still don’t feel like a grown up. There are odd moments
where I think, ‘damn, I’m technically an adult now,’ but they don’t tend to last very long. I cooked a whole Christmas Dinner for 12 people this year and we eloquently sat around the table and spoke about our lives, whereas last year we had a mini food fight and half of us got completely trashed. Most of my friends are on apprenticeships this year and often talk to me about how exhausted they are from working a 9 to 5 job every weekday, yet I spend an equal amount of time complaining about the 6 hours’ worth of lectures and seminars I have in a week. Maybe everyone else is growing up and I need to start doing the same. Personally (as a millennial) I don’t think I’ll feel like a grown up until I’m completely independent and don’t have to message my parents every so often because I’m running low on cash. But with the job crisis most of us are likely to face once we graduate, I don’t think that will happen for a while. I suppose this means there’s no concrete age for growing up. However I know that I’ll enjoy being a youth while it lasts. - Sarah Harris
The term ‘grow up’ is open to interpretation. If we’re talking biologically then obviously puberty
tends to start in early teens. However, when our body starts to change into that of a young adult’s, for some that doesn’t necessarily mean that their personality does as well. When one ‘grows up’ - to me - ultimately depends on what kind of upbringing the individual as had. For some even at university in their late teens/early twenties the concept of cleaning up, cooking for and looking after themselves is completely foreign to them. I can tell many funny and unimpressive stories from students I knew in first year who would spend money like no tomorrow and do stupid things like put food on a plate to then put it in the oven to cook. On the other hand, I had friends from home who had huge responsibilities growing up and already came equipped with all the life skills necessary as soon as they got to university. In my opinion, when we ‘grow up’ depends on when we start taking on responsibilities, taking care of ourselves and stop expecting our parents to cater to our every need. - Maisie Williams
"Don't be
11
scared of growing up: you're already doing it!
"
Childhood Mag The importance of Childhood stories such as Santa Claus and the The most valuable lies in our life are the ones our parents told us when we were younger. Santa, who crept into our house at midnight to give us presents as Christmas; the Easter bunny, who equally comes into our homes to leave us chocolate eggs, and the Tooth fairy, who appears in our homes to swap our old teeth for money. In my house it was a whole £1. There is a theme here; strange beings breaking into our homes and leaving us gifts. Now, it would not be acceptable if regular people were coming into our houses at night, so why are we told as children that it’s fine for these ‘mythical’ creatures to invade our space and leave presents? I use ‘mythical’ as I’m not totally convinced Santa isn’t real and the tooth fairy is just a distant cousin of Tinkerbell and well all know she is real, so… Anyway, why do we need these lies in our lives as children? These lies are the first things we really believe in as children. We don’t understand the concept of faith and these unseen childhood idols are the closest we get to faith. They also give us something truly good to believe in and it gives us the innocence that made us so cute. They are also great parental tools to control us as children. “If you’re not good, Santa will take all your presents away.” I know I heard this often as a child. But just imagine Christmas without Santa Claus; it would be a bit strange. One of the best things about Christmas is seeing how excited children get; it’s just as fun for parents to see the excitement on their faces. Christmas is a magical time and it gives everyone a bit of hope and reminds us of the goodness we had as a child. The idea of the tooth fairy is simply a brilliant tactical approach to dealing with a part of your body falling off. As adults, when we dream about our teeth falling out, it means we are stressed. Equally, as children, we could become quite stressed about a tooth coming out. The tooth fairy made us excited about a tooth falling out, even gave us the courage to pull it out just so we could have a bit more pocket money. The Easter bunny: well I can’t really think of any good reason to why we have the Easter bunny but who doesn’t want to follow the trail of mini-eggs left by a bunny to find your horde of chocolate eggs? Childhood lies are what make our childhoods exciting and filled with belief and hope. It is the bit of magic that - for a short time - we really believed in. On Christmas Eve, if we saw a light in the sky or a noise on the roof, we really thought it was Santa in his sleigh and it gave us memories that still make us question whether they are real or not. - Elizabeth Beckett
gic... Tooth Fairy.
I can’t deny it, the day I found out that Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, and the Easter bunny were all one big fib, I was fuming! Of course, I’d always had an inkling that it was all a fabrication. Having noticed that dad’s handwriting was the same as Santa’s was a big giveaway. But even then, I just didn’t want to admit it. I so wanted this fantasy land to be true and who could blame me. The thought of a giant rabbit parading around the world to deliver chocolate eggs, along with a jolly fat man flying in a sleigh and a fairy turning a tooth into a coin…well it’s all mind-blowing stuff! You’d have to be a right Scrooge to not want to make it all a reality again for your own kids. Now, some parents might worry about the consequence of deceiving their children. Are we teaching them that it’s okay to lie? Will this turn our little darlings into pathological liars? Maybe, our kids will feel betrayed when they discover the truth. They might never be able to trust another human being again! Well I think it’s safe to say they’re over reacting. These aren’t so much lies, more like ‘white lies’ or myths. None of us have been traumatized in the realization that these mystical beings do not exist. Instead, so many of us are adamant to keep these traditions alive. Why? Because for a small portion of our lives, magic was a genuine possibility. Our parents allowed our imaginations to be limitless and to see a world where anything was possible. With such opportunity, children can explore and discover what they may not have done if they were constrained by the harsh reality of life. Think of all the fantasy books and films that have completely immersed you. How incredible it was that someone could transcend you into a world so different to your own. Think of all the inventors who sought to make dreams a material reality. These unimaginable feats came from minds which saw beyond the boundaries of our daily lives. They broke conventions and created the unachievable. Keeping these myths alive is then crucial in producing the expansive minds of the future. On a much drier note, it also gives the economy a hell of a boost! Think of all the Easter eggs that flood the isles in supermarkets and the ridiculous number of stockings that get filled year after year. Then there’s our poor mum’s and dad’s in distress, trying their best to get their kids to behave. Santa to these parents is an absolute life line this time of year. Threaten the kids with the line: “Santa will only be bringing you an orange this year if you’re not careful!” and they’ll be weeping at your knees! But all-in-all, how awful would it be if we lived in a world where everything was so matter-of-fact and sensible? Children deserve to be surrounded by beauty and wonder. They deserve to relive the delight in putting out a carrot for Rudolph and a mince pie for Santa, only to find they had miraculously been eaten by morning. It would be wrong to deny them these magical beings which have for so long lifted our spirits and filled our minds with so much joy. - Lauren Daly
13
When I grow up.
Some of Q3’s writers share their childhood drea
When I was little I LOVED fire engines. Still do actually; I got o justice. Anyways, naturally I wanted to be a fireman. To be com with flashing sirens that spoke to somewhere deep within in m dream. Plus, my name’s Sam so it works on every level. Failing that, I always wanted to be Spiderman. - Samuel Capper
When you’re little, everyone is always telling you th to be a butterfly. Obviously, everyone laughed. But I grow up, so why couldn’t I? Dream big, people. - Bethan Rose Jenkins
Back in ’04, 6-year-old me had high h animal documentaries that have grac animals, nagging my mum to let me the thought of getting paid for it blew animals. Working alongside them da the dream unfortunately died. - Evie Bruce
At some point in their li stereotypes but when I w short hair as well as my dream. Later in my prim to be’ moment. Being an with a vision of me in Eg be honest, my plans for hopes of career in journ - Agata Tylki
...
ams.
one in my LEGO Advent calendar the other day and excited doesn’t do my reaction mpletely honest, it was the thought of rushing around in a fantastically big, red truck me. Fire stations have slide poles and cool uniforms. It was all SO amazing to be. A
hat you can be anything you want to be. I told the people who asked me that I was going I said that I had learned in school that caterpillars can turn into butterflies when they
hopes of becoming a Zookeeper - a career choice probably influenced by the impressive ced our TV screens. I always loved visiting zoos and finding out about rare and unusual adopt them. I liked the idea of spending my days feeding and caring for animals – and w my tiny mind. I soon realised this wasn’t the job for me because I’m allergic to almost all aily could prove impractical and highly uncomfortable for my nose and skin. And with that,
ives, almost every little girl wanted to be ballerina, princess or bride. These are the biggest was in kindergarten, all I wanted to be was a hairdresser. The only obstacle was that my mother has grandmothers. And with a lack of any head full of long hair to practice my skills, I abandoned this mary school years my parents showed me Indiana Jones movies. That was my ‘when I grow up I want n archaeologist was my dream for many years. The fact that I like history helped enormously. I lived gypt or in Andes and discovering a new Wonder of the World with loads of extreme adventures. To future were changing quite often when I was a child. Now I am studying at Cardiff University with nalism. And I am sure my past self would be proud of this dream.
15
GCSE’s or Can
Q3 explores whether the UK voting age shoul *Poll of 40 members of Cardiff Student Media, conducted on 02/02/2018
42% - YES At 16, teenagers in the UK can play the lottery, enlist in the army, register as organ donors, get married, work and even pay taxes. However, for the most part, they are not allowed to vote. Arguments against lowering the voting age point at 16 year olds’ lack of maturity, life experience, and interest in politics. However couldn’t it be that this lack of interest in politics is precisely due to the fact they’re always being told they can’t be interested in it? That surely all of the sixteen year olds in the country are much too young and immature to know what their vote really means? Aside from the local elections in Scotland, 16-17 year olds have no say in who runs the country they’re most likely going to spend the rest of their lives in. Although the elections concern a plethora of things that they most likely have no experience with, such as pensions and housing tax, there’s an equal amount of issues that directly affect them. Tuition fees, the National Health Service, and gender issues are all debated in parliament by elected officials and directly affect members of this age group. Furthermore, just because they’re not affected by something now doesn’t mean they will not experience it in the future. Based off the discussions I’ve had with my friends, it is true that not even those in their late 20s have an interest in politics. However there’s an equal, if not larger, number that do. The internet has facilitated access to topics that might have otherwise not been investigated before, and young people have proven to be very good at using this tool. It is often the case that young people are well informed and often follow alternative media pages that report on issues mainstream media fails to pick up on. Even though it’s true that a percentage of this age group does not care for politics, those who do should not be restricted because of the negative image their less conscious friends portray. Lowering the voting age would encourage young people to vote and use their voice, but also to do their research. Politics could be taught at schools from a younger age, fostering an interest for it before they even need to fill out the ballot. Being informed on the parties that will make changes that might affect the rest of their lives is a very useful tool, and would destroy the argument that younger people are not knowledgeable when it comes to politics. Most importantly, older people who tend to vote more conservatively have lived out half of their lives already. The policies that might be created under a new government are most likely to affect the younger population for much longer. If older voting groups are not going to look out for the younger generation it is only fair that they are given a say and some type of control of their future.
17
ndidacy?
ld be lowered to 16.
Words by: Eva Kwatek and Nicole Garcia
As we grow older we begin to take on more decisions and responsibilities for our actions, starting from having input on which secondary school we go to, to choosing our GCSE subjects. Then we have to decide whether to go to college or sixth form, or perhaps to do an apprenticeship, which means that suddenly at the age of 15/16 we are faced with a decision that will determine, at least, our near future, which requires a high level of maturity and a good understanding of all the possible options. The ability to vote at the age of 18 is just as an important decision to make as any of the other life decisions, except this one will definitely affect not only one person but a whole country. The difference between the decision of what or where to study and the decision of which political party to vote for is that, for one we are supplied with a lot of information throughout the time that we are in education, while for the other we lack any in depth integration into the subject. From personal experience, comprehensive schools in the United Kingdom fail to provide compulsory education on politics and the government, and it seems that any early integration into the world of politics is exclusive to grammar or private school institutions, or simply those who take an active interest in it, therefore leaving the rest of us with the dilemma of making an uninformed decision. It seems that in order to gain insight on politics you have to have a keen interest in the subject and/or be privileged enough to have parents who are in touch with current developments in the field enough to pass on their knowledge to you. Yet even then, if we simply adapt the views of the influencing bodies in our lives, does that not limit our understanding, and therefore our choice? If the voting age was to be lowered, it would give the younger generation of the UK even less time to become informed and exposed to politics before making the choice at the voting station. At the age of 16, as we enter into early adulthood, there are already a lot of decisions facing us, and to add one more into the mix should be carefully considered, and not taken lightly. The younger we are the more susceptible we are to being swayed by big campaigns and powerful speeches, so by lowering the voting age we would open up more opportunities for political parties to manipulate the generation. Instead of worrying about the voting age, compulsory education on politics and the structure of the British government should be introduced in the early years of secondary school so that we can ensure an exposure to the world of politics at an earlier age, and stagger the information and view points on the various parties instead of, at the age of 18, having to resort to frantically Googling party manifestos the night before the voting day. Democracy is based on giving people a choice and letting them make up their own minds, but if we lower the voting age and do not provide the people with the right information, then how can they make that choice?
58% - NO
The
Death
Penalty
Samuel Capper and Lizzie Beckett explore whether the death penalty is ever justified.
h y
19 Okay, so this is a very controversial topic, but I’ve always been one for speaking my opinion, but also one for listening to and respecting those of others. So even if you disagree with me, please respect that others will have different views to you. I’ll start by saying that the punishment should be proportionate to the crime. Capital punishment should never be a go-to response, and should only come into play for the most severe and dark crimes. Crimes like murder, child-abduction and rape, I feel, do not deserve a life sentence. I for one, would not want taxes I pay to go towards putting a roof and three meals a day towards people who commit such appalling and vile acts. For these people, the death penalty is indeed justified. Moreover, reinstating the death penalty would act as a strong deterrent towards those who would seek to commit such crimes. Despite not definitively showing the death penalty to be a deterrent, research has also not shown that capital punishment fails to discourage criminals. The logical position would suggest however, that the risk of greater and more severe consequences is naturally going to discourage such extreme criminals acts, justifying the death penalty. Capital punishment can also offer closure, although this is a weaker argument for its justification as different people and families react differently, with some feeling that the death of the perpetrator is justice, offering closure and peace, while others do not feel the need for further perceived wrongdoing. Yet as I mention above, the death penalty should never be a go-to option, only that it should be an option for those unspeakably evil crimes, and for families and victims left so bereaved by the crime that a life sentence does not serve justice to the perpetrator to the fullest extent. A key argument against the death penalty is that it makes us as bad as those who commit similar crimes. Commonly such an argument is phrased as ‘if one person kills a murderer, the number of murderers in the world stays the same’, yet by arguing that a) the death penalty isn’t murder it’s retribution and b) if one person (or judicial system) executes 100 murderers, then technically the number of the murderers in the world has decreased by 99 and this, surely, is a good thing. Moreover, I would strongly dispute this claim, and argue that the intention matters a great deal, and those intending harm versus that of justice and the prevention of further crimes means that we are not as bad as those who would commit evil acts. Capital punishment is further justified by its 100% guarantee of preventing re-offenders. Obviously, those executed by judicial systems cannot commit crimes again. Although some argue that this insufficient justification for the taking of human life, combined with the aforementioned reasons, I believe that it is. Concluding here, yes, the death penalty is justified. Explicitly though, as I have stated above, as an option, available to the courts.
Is the Death Penalty justified? The short answer is no. The death penalty was abolished in the UK in 1965 with the implementation of The Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act. 57 years later, UK citizens were petitioning to bring back capital punishment. So far all attempts have been thwarted due to the lack of signatures. However, even with petitions claims to bring back the death penalty to those who commit extreme crimes, is the death penalty justified in today’s society? There are many different arguments surrounding capital punishment. One main argument is that we are paying tax to keep convicted criminals in prisons, where they have access to mobile phones, drugs and other contraband, not being treated like criminals. However, in America, where the death penalty is still used in a number of states, it actually costs taxpayers more to have a prisoner on death row than serving life in prison. Even so, some would see the death penalty as the easy option to manage criminals. This is seen through the number of petitions that attempt to reach 100,000 signatures. The harder option would be to improve our prisons, enforcing a stricter environment and ensuring prison is a place for punishment and rehabilitation and to build a better and strong society. In January 2018, the ministry of Justice released its reoffending statistics from January 2016 to March 2016 (latest figures). While we often hear about those who reoffend after coming out of prison, the overall proven reoffending rate was 29.6%. This isn’t a perfect percentage, but it shows that prison does have the ability to enforce rehabilitation. Of course, there is also a moral and ethic stance to this argument. The want to punish criminals comes from an emotional reaction to the horrific crimes we see and read about on the news. This emotional response clouds our rational judgment on what our society would be like if we brought back capital punishment. We start by subjecting those who commit murder to the death penalty but can it really be as straightforward as that? The world isn’t black and white, as we would like it to be. Although the majority of society understands the concept of right and wrong, there are many grey areas that currently affect how we understand different situations. We are told from a young age that two wrongs don’t make a right; that we must be better than those who hurt others and do not sink to their level. Another major reason why the death penalty is unjustified is the fact that the justice system isn’t 100% accurate. Before the death penalty was abolished, a number of people were convicted and sentenced to death only later to be found innocent and exonerated. Those like Derek Bentley, Mahmood Hussein Mattan and Timothy Evans were all victims of an unfair justice system. While there has been progress in criminal investigations, there are still those who are wrongly convicted. Even in America, 144 people on death row have been exonerated since 1973. As we progress as a society, we should be looking forward to how we can improve and progress, like refining our prisons
and justice system, rather than trying to bring back old-fashioned and morally wrong practices that were abolished for a reason.
INSULT GE Pick the month you were born:
January - Smelly February - Stupid March - Monkey April - Silly May - Fart June - Dumb July - Mean August - Bogey September - Big October - Stinky November - Bum December - Ugly
ENERATOR
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Pick the first letter of your name:
A - Poo-poo B - Bum C - Head D - Face E - Monkey F - Melon G - Pants H - Brain I - Meanie J - Willie K - Foot L - Cheese M - Bogey
N - Raisin O - Butt P - Idiot Q - Binman R - Breath S - Loser T - Bucket U - Pig V - Baby W - Nut X - Idiot Y - Dumby Z - Wee
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