Alan Turing gets royal pardon for 'gross indecency'

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/alan-turing-gets-royal-pardon-for-gross-indecency--61-years-after-he-poisoned-himself-9023116.html

It saddens me it took so long. He was a great man, and it is sad to think that such a hero was castrated for his sexuality after he had done so much for this country.

Reply 1

markova21

21

I agree.Thank goodness we live in a more tolerant era. Although there is still much that can be done.

Reply 2

Captain Haddock

18

Great, but why just him?

Reply 3

username1315644

17

Although the sentiment is correct its wrong. First of all, its a pardon not an apology. Second of all, the only reason he's been pardoned it because of his fame and acclaim for doing his job. He didn't need a pardon because he didn't do anything wrong, he was wrong to be punished and hence should have received an apology, and that logic still applies to people who weren't excellent mathematicians.

Reply 4

the mezzil

OP

3

Original post by Captain Haddock

Great, but why just him?

Well he did do a lot, but yes I agree! It was truly horrible what people did to homosexuals back then.

Reply 5

the mezzil

OP

3

Original post by Fizzel

Although the sentiment is correct its wrong. First of all, its a pardon not an apology. Second of all, the only reason he's been pardoned it because of his fame and acclaim for doing his job. He didn't need a pardon because he didn't do anything wrong, he was wrong to be punished and hence should have received an apology, and that logic still applies to people who weren't excellent mathematicians.

Of course! I don't think any reasonable person would suggest otherwise. But at least it is a step in the right direction?

Reply 6

Psyk

16

Original post by Fizzel

Although the sentiment is correct its wrong. First of all, its a pardon not an apology. Second of all, the only reason he's been pardoned it because of his fame and acclaim for doing his job. He didn't need a pardon because he didn't do anything wrong, he was wrong to be punished and hence should have received an apology, and that logic still applies to people who weren't excellent mathematicians.

There already was an apology a few years ago.

I think this is great, but I echo what other people are saying. What about the others that suffered from this law? There are people still alive that have been victims of it. They should get pardons too, maybe even compensation.

Reply 7

Juichiro

18

Original post by the mezzil

Of course! I don't think any reasonable person would suggest otherwise. But at least it is a step in the right direction?

It is not. You only give pardons when someone does something bad and you forgive them. There is still implicit the idea that Turing did something bad. But he didn't! Being homosexual is not something bad. Any step in the right direction should involve an apology from those who made Turing's suffering possible.

Reply 8

the mezzil

OP

3

Original post by Psyk

There already was an apology a few years ago.

I think this is great, but I echo what other people are saying. What about the others that suffered from this law? There are people still alive that have been victims of it. They should get pardons too, maybe even compensation.

No amount of money will uncastrate them :/

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Reply 9

the mezzil

OP

3

Original post by Juichiro

It is not. You only give pardons when someone does something bad and you forgive them. There is still implicit the idea that Turing did something bad. But he didn't! Being homosexual is not something bad. Any step in the right direction should involve an apology from those who made Turing's suffering possible.

I never said it was bad! Read my OP! I think a apology should be issued, unfortunatly I think it is far to late. He is dead.

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Reply 10

Chief Wiggum

20

I think this sets a rather odd precedent - surely they'll have to do the same for all the non-famous people as well...?

Reply 11

Psyk

16

Original post by the mezzil

No amount of money will uncastrate them :/

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Well it was chemical castration, which is reversible for the most part.

Reply 12

Arbolus

13

Original post by Juichiro

It is not. You only give pardons when someone does something bad and you forgive them. There is still implicit the idea that Turing did something bad. But he didn't! Being homosexual is not something bad. Any step in the right direction should involve an apology from those who made Turing's suffering possible.

Wrong. You give pardons when what the law dictates isn't what's considered to be morally correct. Nothing can change the fact that Turing was convicted in a fair trial of a crime that existed at the time, but the pardon shows that today we don't consider that crime to be a wrong, and that Turing did not deserve to be punished.

Reply 13

thunder_chunky

19

Good idea but too little too late, and really it should apply to all that were effected by that draconian law.

Reply 14

TheLoveDoctor

9

way too late - it's almost more insulting than a lack of a pardon at this stage

Reply 15

the mezzil

OP

3

Original post by Psyk

Well it was chemical castration, which is reversible for the most part.

No i meant that hes dead.

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Reply 16

limetang

19

A crime doesn't stop being a crime because the person who committed it is a 'national hero', and he doesn't deserve to be pardoned for a crime because of that fact. He should be pardoned for the crime because it shouldn't have been a crime. If you're going to pardon him, pardon EVERYONE who was found guilty of it.

Reply 17

Habsburg

10

Original post by Chief Wiggum

I think this sets a rather odd precedent - surely they'll have to do the same for all the non-famous people as well...?

Being a pardon, it's more of an isolated act of clemency. In fact, if anything, it actually acknowledges that he was, in a legal sense, 'guilty', so it's not a case of basically apologising to every to every man ever found guilty buggery, gross indecency, etc.

Reply 18

limetang

19

Original post by Habsburg

Being a pardon, it's more of an isolated act of clemency. In fact, if anything, it actually acknowledges that he was, in a legal sense, 'guilty', so it's not a case of basically apologising to every to every man ever found guilty buggery, gross indecency, etc.

So why do it? By doing this what we are actually saying is that he deserved a pardon for the crime, not because it never should have been a crime but because he is a 'national hero', and I'm sorry but that is plain wrong.

Although you and I both know that's not what's going on here. It's an illogical combination of the two. It's happened partly because it shouldn't have been a crime at all, and partly because he's a national hero. Which is still a horrific message, because what it then implies is that this is only really an atrocity because it was done to such a great man. It's not really that much of an injustice to everyone else.