The Mercury Wilson’s School’s sixth-form newspaper
Volume 5, Issue 2, November 2015
Editors: Charlie Stewart and Ebruba Abel-Unokan
FRANCE IN STATE OF EMERGENCY Felix Hanif-Banks On Friday 13th November, 80,000 converged in central Paris for an in-ternational football match, but the night was plagued with the horror of a violent terrorist attack, as reports of seven separate attacks around the capital hit the news at around 9:30pm. 129 people have been reported killed in seven shootings and bombings around the city‟s centre, with various bars and restaurants targeted in a series of attacks. The Bataclan Arts Centre, a concert venue hosting American rock band, The Eagles of Death Metal, was the tragic setting of the night‟s most deadly attack. Three gunmen stormed the venue whilst firing shots into the air, taking a crowd of over 100 hostages, of which approximately 89 were reported killed. One concert-goer, who managed to escape, reported one of the gunmen as saying: "It's the fault of Hollande. It's the fault of your president - he should not have intervened in Syria". Police at the scene were quoted as saying those holding hostages were in possession of explosives, although
they initially remained unused. After staking out the venue for some time, police finally entered the building, killing three suspected attackers.
Just over an hour and a half after the start of the attacks, the French President issued a statement declaring France as in a state of emergency, as well as closing the country‟s borders A further 5 of the assailants were ei- and calling in “military reinforcether killed by police, or used their ments”. held explosives to carry out a suicide bombing elsewhere over the course of Hollande said in his statement he has the night. “no doubt who is behind the attacks” but refused to divulge the names of any specific organisations, perhaps waiting for official confirmation. He also cancelled his planned trip to the G20 summit in Turkey, due to take place over the weekend of the 14th15th November. As far as a motive is concerned, the drone attacks that took out ISIS executioner, Jihadi John, some 24 hours prior were fresh in the mind of the The Stade de France, the location of media as these fatal Parisian attacks the international friendly between were reported. France and Germany, was subject to a bomb threat following the explosion Islamic State claimed responsibility of multiple grenades outside the sta- for the attack overnight, calling it redium, the sound of which could be taliation for French military involveheard through television coverage of ment in Syria. the match. As intelligence makes its way to the French President François Hollande public, the nature of the situation is was inside the stadium at the time, bound to change. However, no and was swiftly evacuated to discuss amount of intelligence will overshadthe various attacks with Interior Min- ow the tragedy of the lives lost over ister Bernard Cazeneuve. the course of the evening. Buildings across the world were illuminated with the French Tricolore, as a sign of unity with the devastated nation.
Want to write for the Mercury?
Budding journalists, or those just passionate about a subject, are always needed. Anyone interested in writing, be it a front page spread, or a back page sports column, should get in touch with the editors:
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Sixth Form Mercury, November 2015
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Editors’ letter
Contents Article
Hello! The Mercury subsists from strength to faltering strength under the iron fists of Charles Stewart and Ebruba Abel-Unokan. Perhaps things were better under Mssrs. Cobain and MacNeill, perhaps the best is yet to come. Whatever the result may be, we hope you enjoy reading this issue of the Mercury as much as we enjoyed writing it!
Page
France in State of Emergency
1
Aunty M.
2
Deus Ex
3
Comic
3
Jeremy Corbyn: All Left, But Alright?
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Charlie and Ebruba
ASK AUNTY M: AGONY AUNT Mohammed Islam Dear Aunty M.
Dear Anonymé,
I‟m encountering an absolutely disastrous issue which appears to be eating me from the inside out. Alas, my nights are sleepless as I ponder the solution to my nerve racking problems. When I do finally manage to drift away into sleep I‟m plagued with nightmares! How on earth will I get my students to like me?
I empathise with your dire situation. Do not despair, for I myself have the remedies to your problems. Students, as you may realise, appear to be creatures with a strong herd mentality. When one decides to become too brave for his own good, the rest follow his act mindlessly. For this particular problem, there‟s a simple way to extinguish these flames.
I‟m frightened by the arduous task of teaching so many students when they appear to be studying the best way to undermine me, especially the select few who seem to have devoted their lives into making mine worse. Please Help Aunty M.! I fear my stress levels are skyrocketing! Thank you, Anonymé
Strike at the head of the hydra! Use the powers bestowed upon you and discipline the fool who dare attempt to go defy you with their vile tomfoolery! The others should soon fall into line, realising that you are a force to be reckoned with. Next, in order to get the students to like you there are two criteria which need to be met. The first is to be “safe”. I have yet to decipher what this means, but according to my source this actually has a significant impact on student-teacher relations! Secondly…banter. Not regularly. Not rarely. Not these so called 'dead' jokes, nor complicated ones that require a degree to understand. Just a few really top-notch japes which everyone can laugh at. Often that is the best way to get students to like you!
Stay „safe‟, Aunty M.
Sixth Form Mercury, November 2015
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DEUS EX?
Charlie Stewart “Science flies you to the moon. Religion flies you erty are common factors linking areas where reliinto buildings.” So said the late Victor J. Stenger. gious extremism thrives which are often ignored by men like Stenger. The issues that have arisen in His logic is appealing: while I know pitifully little their corruption of Islam is reflective of those science it is hard not to be aware of 21st-century problems already present in the society in which terrorism‟s very distinct supposed face, that of the they live. young Muslim male. However, for those who - like Stenger - believe that religion is the construction of From the oppression of Burma‟s Muslim minority mankind, this statement creates far more problems by the Buddhist majority to Hindu nationalist atthan it solves. tacks on Indian Christians, the common factor is never any particular faith, or indeed faith at all- it All too often the irony of the phrase „religious peo- is people. ple are intolerant‟ is completely missed. To take an admittedly amateur scientific approach, we would When the Nazis persecuted the Jews they did not need two test groups: one with a society very spare those who renounced their faith. For examstrongly linked with religion, and one without. ples of atrocities committed by atheists, one need only look to Stalin‟s Russia “All too often the irony of At this point, we might or Mao‟s China. The risk rather proudly forward saying „religious people are therefore, is that we fall in ourselves as the former, the trap of ascribing intolerintolerant‟ is completely with our practical separaance and extreme views as missed”. tion of church and state the common traits of reliand evermore secular lifegious people. styles. In creating a straw man to blame, we ironically We might forward a group like the Taliban as can- find ourselves guilty of the same intolerances we didates for the latter. That seems to make it fairly accuse other of, judging an entire school of philostraight-forward. The Taliban are bad. The Taliban sophical beliefs based on the acts of some of its are religious. „Bish bash bosh‟, we might proclaim most troubled pupils. - job done. We can proudly declare that we are not Stenger‟s view is based on assumption, generalisalike the Taliban. tion and stereotyping – if science flies us to Mars, However, we are unlike the Taliban in many other it will not be on that logic. ways. Political upheaval, ethnic tensions and pov-
Sixth Form Mercury, November 2015
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JEREMY CORBYN: ALL LEFT, BUT ALRIGHT? ARCHIE MACGILLIVRAY The election for leadership of the Labour party has lingers on, people are not willing to risk the
come to a close, and now Jeremy Corbyn stands at economy by entrusting it even to the more moderate the head of the party, casting a long shadow full of New Labour, let alone a more hard-line socialist Labour under Corbyn. questions. Foremost, amongst them so far has been whether or not this choice of leader is a good move for Labour looking toward the 2020 General Election. Of the answers proposed, the most popular stance is „no, obviously not‟. An editorial in the Observer likened his election to “a pupil who, on being told they answered incorrectly, repeats the same answer shouting ever more forcefully. It‟s still the wrong answer!” and this view seems prevalent. Jeremy Corbyn, with Prime Minister David Cameron, laying wreaths at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day
It certainly seems like the party will have its work cut out come 2020. Already he has begun to make waves both within his party and on the whole political landscape, with his comments on Trident (saying that he would not press the nuclear button if it came to it) and links to extra-parliamentary pressure groups. Jeremy Corbyn has been a member of CND since his youth and is currently Vice-Chairman.
He provides a stark contrast to the meek leadership of the ousted Miliband, and this may transpire to be a very good thing for the party.
The fact is that Labour was seen as too far to the Left in the general election – too focused on a “Robin Hood” plan of taxation on the richest paying for welfare for the poorest, with no provision for those in between – and yet Corbyn represents a shift within Labour even further to the Left.
Corbyn has shown that he is not willing to concede ground on topics of principle in the name of preserving popularity, which is a refreshing deviation from the modus operandi of many of today‟s politicians – could this be a step towards more serious and grown up British politics?
In the wake of the financial crisis that even now
We can but watch and wait.
Want to write for the Mercury?
Budding journalists, or those just passionate about a subject, are always needed. Anyone interested in writing, be it a front page spread, or a back page sports column, should get in touch with the editors:
[email protected] [email protected]
