After the publication of yet another academic report criticising the use of harsh penal sentences as deterrents it is finally time to admit that drug prohibition isn’t working. Ever since the early 20th century when […]
The Sainsbury’s Christmas advert cashes in on the atrocities of war
Christmas is the prime time for soppy, feel-good adverts; John Lewis nearly brought about mass hysteria last year, with thousands tearing up at an endearing tale of two woodland creatures hopping around in the snow […]
Owen Jones is right: we need the ‘politics of hope’, not fear
Last week at Leeds Beckett University, political activist, Guardian columnist and author Owen Jones urged his audience to follow the ‘politics of hope’. Like many, he feels angry and frustrated that the political elite has […]
A disgrace to reason: UK drugs policy is an insult to 21st century Britain
Joshua Taylor, Digital Associate Editor at The Gryphon, discusses the hypocrisy surrounding UK drugs policy, and challenges what freedoms we hold most dear in our society. The last week brought tidings of the latest absurdities when […]
Supporting the marking boycott is supporting security
As we reach the middle of term and those bitter, cold Leeds nights greet us again, students everywhere are already fully immersed in essays, exams and the new John Lewis Christmas advert. This hectic time […]
To fight for peace is to struggle for socialism: thoughts on Remembrance Day
For a while now, I’ve held a lot of reservations about the Poppy Appeal and have been dissatisfied with Remembrance Day. The fact that something is ostensibly a good cause does not exempt it from […]
We need action against supermarket food waste
Food wastage in the UK is a growing problem and part of a greater global pandemic. In the UK alone last year there was 15 million tonnes of food wasted by supermarkets, industry and consumers […]
A feminist faux pas: thoughts on a t-shirt debacle
Apparently David Cameron is not what a feminist looks like, but an embarrassed activist wearing a £45 t-shirt made by women working in sweatshops earning just 62p an hour might be, according to recent reports […]
Offensive Halloween costumes: not big, not clever
Imagine the most shocking thing you could dress up as, and then do it. That seems to be the mantra of some when Halloween rolls around each year. Halloween, originally themed around the ‘spooks and […]
Ebola doesn’t discriminate; why should we?
Ebola is scary. In the past weeks, we have been repeatedly informed that it is a deadly disease that has killed, and continues to kill people on a worrying scale. What ought to be challenged, however, is […]
Has Jeremy Clarkson ground our gears long enough?
Controversy has surrounded Clarkson for years. Over his career, he has managed to antagonise and offend a considerable breadth of cultures and people. Romanians, Mexicans, the gay community, the mentally ill: these are a few of the groups […]
It’s FCKH8 who are the problem, not little girls who swear
I don’t have a problem with seeing little girls swearing. Sure, it’s a bit tacky and clearly aimed at going viral through shock value. But my real objection is to what they actually say. The […]