Alan Turing - an overdue apology?

[EvilPie]

Why does he deserve a pardon for his crime and why should the current government apologise?

Admittedley the crime in question is a ridiculous one and should never have been an offence in the first place but the fact is that at the time it was the law and he broke it.

I don't deny that he deserves recognition for his achievements but why the pardon for a crime that he commited?

[RED-DOG]

Why does he deserve a pardon for his crime and why should the current government apologise?

Admittedley the crime in question is a ridiculous one and should never have been an offence in the first place but the fact is that at the time it was the law and he broke it.

I don't deny that he deserves recognition for his achievements but why the pardon for a crime that he commited?

Pardon for making it a crime in the first place, handing down such a severe punishment, and ruining a good man's life perhaps?

[Acidmouse]

"He was injected with estrogen, an experience that is widely believed to have led to his suicide just two years later. " ewwww.

[Jon MW]

Why does he deserve a pardon for his crime and why should the current government apologise?

Admittedley the crime in question is a ridiculous one and should never have been an offence in the first place but the fact is that at the time it was the law and he broke it.

I don't deny that he deserves recognition for his achievements but why the pardon for a crime that he commited?

Pardon for making it a crime in the first place, handing down such a severe punishment, and ruining a good man's life perhaps?

So every generation or so every Government should go back, find the laws they don't agree with and pardon everyone convicted of them?

[EvilPie]

Why does he deserve a pardon for his crime and why should the current government apologise?

Admittedley the crime in question is a ridiculous one and should never have been an offence in the first place but the fact is that at the time it was the law and he broke it.

I don't deny that he deserves recognition for his achievements but why the pardon for a crime that he commited?

Pardon for making it a crime in the first place, handing down such a severe punishment, and ruining a good man's life perhaps?

I agree that it was all very wrong but it wasn't this government that made it a crime or indeed handed out the insane punishment.

Perhaps a public acknowledgment of his great achievements and also acknowledgment that he was charged with a crime that in our modern society is seen as perfectly acceptable behaviour.

But why the apology? What has anybody today got to be sorry for? They didn't do it.

[Acidmouse]

Similar to genocide in that a specific group of people were targeted without having committed any crime (anything we would reasonably consider to be a crime at least) for barbaric treatment leading to death in this case at least. Except in this case the trait they were selected for was sexuality rather than nationality.

I agree that an apology is absolutely in order. I don't always see the point, when governments apologise for actions taken by their predecessors so long ago that taking responsibility for something so far removed seems patronising and placatory. In this case though, the injustice was so recent and rights to marriage and adoption for homosexuals are such hot topics that an apology would be at least a step towards an end to centuries of officially-sanctioned prejudice.

Of course, it won't make any concrete difference to the past, that's not the point of any apology. It might, however, reassure British citizens that the government is capable of recognising its mistakes, and recognises that it needs to address society as it is today and adapt to a state of absolute equality.

[byronkincaid]

"He was injected with estrogen, an experience that is widely believed to have led to his suicide just two years later. " ewwww.

and now many men voluntarily eat soy

[EvilPie]

Similar to genocide in that a specific group of people were targeted without having committed any crime (anything we would reasonably consider to be a crime at least) for barbaric treatment leading to death in this case at least. Except in this case the trait they were selected for was sexuality rather than nationality.

I agree that an apology is absolutely in order. I don't always see the point, when governments apologise for actions taken by their predecessors so long ago that taking responsibility for something so far removed seems patronising and placatory. In this case though, the injustice was so recent and rights to marriage and adoption for homosexuals are such hot topics that an apology would be at least a step towards an end to centuries of officially-sanctioned prejudice.

Of course, it won't make any concrete difference to the past, that's not the point of any apology. It might, however, reassure British citizens that the government is capable of recognising its mistakes, and recognises that it needs to address society as it is today and adapt to a state of absolute equality.

Surely the mistake has already been recognised by a previous government.

Possibly the one that got rid of the law?

[AndrewT]

I agree that it was all very wrong but it wasn't this government that made it a crime or indeed handed out the insane punishment.

Perhaps a public acknowledgment of his great achievements and also acknowledgment that he was charged with a crime that in our modern society is seen as perfectly acceptable behaviour.

But why the apology? What has anybody today got to be sorry for? They didn't do it.

Precisely - this is such a waste of time.

Build a statue, yes. Put some money into Bletchley Park so that what the codebreakers did there is properly remembered.

But don't waste time trying to get someone to apologise for something he didn't do to someone who isn't around to hear it, especially that now homosexuality is not only not illegal, but the Deputy Prime Minister is openly gay.

How about the government address the problems of today, rather than the problems of the 1950s.

[kinboshi]

I agree that it was all very wrong but it wasn't this government that made it a crime or indeed handed out the insane punishment.

Perhaps a public acknowledgment of his great achievements and also acknowledgment that he was charged with a crime that in our modern society is seen as perfectly acceptable behaviour.

But why the apology? What has anybody today got to be sorry for? They didn't do it.

Precisely - this is such a waste of time.

Build a statue, yes. Put some money into Bletchley Park so that what the codebreakers did there is properly remembered.

But don't waste time trying to get someone to apologise for something he didn't do to someone who isn't around to hear it, especially that now homosexuality is not only not illegal, but the Deputy Prime Minister is openly gay.

How about the government address the problems of today, rather than the problems of the 1950s.

Money isn't being put into Bletchley park either.

http://www.savingbletchleypark.org/About-the-campaign.html

[RED-DOG]

Why does he deserve a pardon for his crime and why should the current government apologise?

Admittedley the crime in question is a ridiculous one and should never have been an offence in the first place but the fact is that at the time it was the law and he broke it.

I don't deny that he deserves recognition for his achievements but why the pardon for a crime that he commited?

Pardon for making it a crime in the first place, handing down such a severe punishment, and ruining a good man's life perhaps?

I agree that it was all very wrong but it wasn't this government that made it a crime or indeed handed out the insane punishment.

Perhaps a public acknowledgment of his great achievements and also acknowledgment that he was charged with a crime that in our modern society is seen as perfectly acceptable behaviour.

But why the apology? What has anybody today got to be sorry for? They didn't do it.

You're splitting hairs Matt.

To apologise is to be sorry about something.

What harm could it do to vindicate this man and apologise on behalf of your predecessor?

[Jon MW]

Why does he deserve a pardon for his crime and why should the current government apologise?

Admittedley the crime in question is a ridiculous one and should never have been an offence in the first place but the fact is that at the time it was the law and he broke it.

I don't deny that he deserves recognition for his achievements but why the pardon for a crime that he commited?

Pardon for making it a crime in the first place, handing down such a severe punishment, and ruining a good man's life perhaps?

I agree that it was all very wrong but it wasn't this government that made it a crime or indeed handed out the insane punishment.

Perhaps a public acknowledgment of his great achievements and also acknowledgment that he was charged with a crime that in our modern society is seen as perfectly acceptable behaviour.

But why the apology? What has anybody today got to be sorry for? They didn't do it.

You're splitting hairs Matt.

To apologise is to be sorry about something.

What harm could it do to vindicate this man and apologise on behalf of your predecessor?

So just say sorry for everything wrong that any previous government has ever done?

They've been working their way through them - doesn't make any difference, doesn't suggest they mean it, doesn't achieve anything in the slightest bit constructive.

A knighthood is a recognition of his achievements, it could be used as a platform to promote tolerance and as Andrew suggested there are other practical ways of honouring him - but a few words by someone who had nothing to do with the achievement or the intolerance at the time don't really mean anything.

[kinboshi]

Why does he deserve a pardon for his crime and why should the current government apologise?

Admittedley the crime in question is a ridiculous one and should never have been an offence in the first place but the fact is that at the time it was the law and he broke it.

I don't deny that he deserves recognition for his achievements but why the pardon for a crime that he commited?

Pardon for making it a crime in the first place, handing down such a severe punishment, and ruining a good man's life perhaps?

I agree that it was all very wrong but it wasn't this government that made it a crime or indeed handed out the insane punishment.

Perhaps a public acknowledgment of his great achievements and also acknowledgment that he was charged with a crime that in our modern society is seen as perfectly acceptable behaviour.

But why the apology? What has anybody today got to be sorry for? They didn't do it.

You're splitting hairs Matt.

To apologise is to be sorry about something.

What harm could it do to vindicate this man and apologise on behalf of your predecessor?

So just say sorry for everything wrong that any previous government has ever done?

They've been working their way through them - doesn't make any difference, doesn't suggest they mean it, doesn't achieve anything in the slightest bit constructive.

A knighthood is a recognition of his achievements, it could be used as a platform to promote tolerance and as Andrew suggested there are other practical ways of honouring him - but a few words by someone who had nothing to do with the achievement or the intolerance at the time don't really mean anything.

He's not going to get a knighthood without an apology.

Does an apology not send out a message?

[GreekStein]

Why does he deserve a pardon for his crime and why should the current government apologise?

Admittedley the crime in question is a ridiculous one and should never have been an offence in the first place but the fact is that at the time it was the law and he broke it.

I don't deny that he deserves recognition for his achievements but why the pardon for a crime that he commited?

Pardon for making it a crime in the first place, handing down such a severe punishment, and ruining a good man's life perhaps?

I agree that it was all very wrong but it wasn't this government that made it a crime or indeed handed out the insane punishment.

Perhaps a public acknowledgment of his great achievements and also acknowledgment that he was charged with a crime that in our modern society is seen as perfectly acceptable behaviour.

But why the apology? What has anybody today got to be sorry for? They didn't do it.

You're splitting hairs Matt.

To apologise is to be sorry about something.

What harm could it do to vindicate this man and apologise on behalf of your predecessor?

How could you apologise on behalf of someone's predecessor when in reality they probably wouldn't be sorry about it.

[Acidmouse]

It does no harm to say sorry. Why the fuk would people argue against it? lol you would rather spend tax payers money on a statue, unreal.