Alan Turing, Enigma Code-Breaker and Computer Pioneer, Wins Royal Pardon

[Sallow]

This guy essentially invented the modern computer and saved thousands of lives during WWII. After the war he was subject to so much scorn for his homosexuality, he committed suicide.

Nearly 60 years after his death, Alan Turing, the British mathematician regarded as one of the central figures in the development of the computer, received a formal pardon from Queen Elizabeth II on Monday for his conviction in 1952 on charges of homosexuality, at the time a criminal offense in Britain.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/24/w...computer-pioneer-wins-royal-pardon.html?_r=2&

Little late.

 

[TheOldSchool]

How about a knighthood? A freakin "pardon?" Are they kidding?

 

[Sallow]

How about a knighthood? A freakin "pardon?" Are they kidding?

Exactly.

 

[Sallow]

People, who use computers, should know who this guy is..

 

[Shaarona]

This guy essentially invented the modern computer and saved thousands of lives during WWII. After the war he was subject to so much scorn for his homosexuality, he committed suicide.

Nearly 60 years after his death, Alan Turing, the British mathematician regarded as one of the central figures in the development of the computer, received a formal pardon from Queen Elizabeth II on Monday for his conviction in 1952 on charges of homosexuality, at the time a criminal offense in Britain.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/24/w...computer-pioneer-wins-royal-pardon.html?_r=2&

Little late.

Good grief as recent as WW2?????

 

[rightwinger]

How about a knighthood? A freakin "pardon?" Are they kidding?

Agree

The guy played a major part in winning the war and was unable to receive any recognition because what he did was top secret

To treat one of your heros like that was outrageous

 

[Sallow]

Alan Turing deserves a place of honor among the Heroes of WWII.

He answered his country's call and used his gifts to thwart one of the most evil, vile regimes in history.

 

[waltky]

Alan Turing gets new British law named after him...

U.K. government officials propose law to pardon homosexual offenders, to be named ‘Turing Law’
Friday 21st October, 2016 - U.K. government officials have proposed a new law to pardon the gay and bisexual offenders who were convicted of ‘gross indecency’.

The new law will be named ‘Turing law’ in the memory of the great wartime mathematician Alan Turing, who cracked Nazi Germany’s ‘unbreakable’ Enigma code and is recognised as the pioneer of modern computer. Under the proposed law - thousands of gay and bisexual men, who were criminally convicted and not alive will receive posthumous pardons. Turing too was convicted of ‘gross indecency’ in 1952. A homosexual nature or performing such sexual activity was a serious criminal offence in the U.K. until 1967. After years of campaigning by supporters including Stephen Hawking, Alan Turing received a rare royal pardon from Queen Elizabeth in 2013, almost 60 years after he committed suicide in 1954. His relatives started a high-profile campaign to secure pardons for other men, who were convicted under the same criminal law. According to this law people who were convicted and termed criminals for performing anal penetration will have the opportunity to live their life as they want and will go through ‘disregard process’, which would nullify their criminal records.

Justice Minister Sam Gyimah said the government would implement the change through an amendment to the crime bills. “It is hugely important that we pardon people convicted of historical sexual offences who would be innocent of any crime today. Through pardons and the existing disregard process we will meet our manifesto commitment to put right these wrongs,” He said. George Montague, who was convicted in 1974 with a similar charge, said that he wants an apology, not a pardon. Montague said: “To accept a pardon means you accept that you were guilty. I was not guilty of anything. I was only guilty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” “A pardon is probably the best way of acknowledging the real harm done by the unjust and cruel homophobic laws, which thankfully we've now repealed, and I do hope that a lot of people will feel exactly the same way,” said Liberal Democratic peer Lord Sharkey, the parliament member in U.K.

Sharkey who pushed the matter to the government termed it as “a momentous day for thousands of families up and down the U.K. who have been campaigning on this issue for decades.” He proposed the amendment to the ‘Policing and Crimes Bill’ and to issue pardons. Approximately 65,000 men had been convicted under this outdated law. Among the convicted 15,000 people who still live will also get their dignity back. “It is a wonderful thing that we have been able to build on the pardon granted to Alan Turing during Coalition by extending it to the thousands of men convicted of sexual offences that existed before homosexuality was decriminalised in 1967 and which would not be crimes today,” Sharkey added.

Rachel Barnes, the niece of Turing, who has long campaigned on the issue of pardons to more than 49,000 convicts, hailed the decision as ‘absolutely tremendous’. Although the Private Member Bill has been proposed, government officials suggested that it had various loopholes. The government said that they will not support any Private Member Bill on the subject although the topic of bill and blanket pardon have been kept aside to have a debate on. “A blanket pardon, without the detailed investigations carried out by the Home Office under the disregard process, could see people guilty of an offence which is still a crime today claiming to be pardoned,” said Gyimah.

UK government officials propose law to pardon homosexual offenders to be named Turing Law

 

[Political Junky]

This guy essentially invented the modern computer and saved thousands of lives during WWII. After the war he was subject to so much scorn for his homosexuality, he committed suicide.

Nearly 60 years after his death, Alan Turing, the British mathematician regarded as one of the central figures in the development of the computer, received a formal pardon from Queen Elizabeth II on Monday for his conviction in 1952 on charges of homosexuality, at the time a criminal offense in Britain.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/24/w...computer-pioneer-wins-royal-pardon.html?_r=2&

Little late.

That's awesome, he saved us all.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

It wasn't scorn that drove him to suicide. He was given some extreme medication intending to chemically castrate him. The side effects were catastrophic and did nothing to end his inclinations.

 

[Political Junky]

It wasn't scorn that drove him to suicide. He was given some extreme medication intending to chemically castrate him. The side effects were catastrophic and did nothing to end his inclinations.

It was scorn that drove them to give him medications.

 

[Granny]

I have the movie about Turing - "The Imitation Game" - excellent viewing and, yes, he should be remembered for the great contribution he made.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

It wasn't scorn that drove him to suicide. He was given some extreme medication intending to chemically castrate him. The side effects were catastrophic and did nothing to end his inclinations.

It was scorn that drove them to give him medications.

So the law had nothing to do with it. Why was Turing pardoned? He was tried and convicted of a crime. Part of his sentence was to take these medications. He didn't want to take them. His wife didn't want him to take them. You really think he took them because people were mean? How progressive of you.

 

[Granny]

It wasn't scorn that drove him to suicide. He was given some extreme medication intending to chemically castrate him. The side effects were catastrophic and did nothing to end his inclinations.

It was scorn that drove them to give him medications.

So the law had nothing to do with it. Why was Turing pardoned? He was tried and convicted of a crime. Part of his sentence was to take these medications. He didn't want to take them. His wife didn't want him to take them. You really think he took them because people were mean? How progressive of you.

The law back then was that homosexuality was illegal in England and when the truth came out he was tried and convicted under that law. Today things have changed and he was pardoned. Who are we to say what drove him to suicide - scorn? shame? the only way out he could see of forced medication?

 

[dannyboys]

It wasn't scorn that drove him to suicide. He was given some extreme medication intending to chemically castrate him. The side effects were catastrophic and did nothing to end his inclinations.

It was scorn that drove them to give him medications.

So the law had nothing to do with it. Why was Turing pardoned? He was tried and convicted of a crime. Part of his sentence was to take these medications. He didn't want to take them. His wife didn't want him to take them. You really think he took them because people were mean? How progressive of you.

The law back then was that homosexuality was illegal in England and when the truth came out he was tried and convicted under that law. Today things have changed and he was pardoned. Who are we to say what drove him to suicide - scorn? shame? the only way out he could see of forced medication?

Turing has been given credit for some things he did not do.
For instance. Historic fact:
Enigma machine - Wikipedia

 

[jknowgood]

How about a knighthood? A freakin "pardon?" Are they kidding?

Agree

The guy played a major part in winning the war and was unable to receive any recognition because what he did was top secret

To treat one of your heros like that was outrageous

To bad Hillary wasn't in office back then. Her incompetence could've exposed him early.

 

[Granny]

It wasn't scorn that drove him to suicide. He was given some extreme medication intending to chemically castrate him. The side effects were catastrophic and did nothing to end his inclinations.

It was scorn that drove them to give him medications.

So the law had nothing to do with it. Why was Turing pardoned? He was tried and convicted of a crime. Part of his sentence was to take these medications. He didn't want to take them. His wife didn't want him to take them. You really think he took them because people were mean? How progressive of you.

The law back then was that homosexuality was illegal in England and when the truth came out he was tried and convicted under that law. Today things have changed and he was pardoned. Who are we to say what drove him to suicide - scorn? shame? the only way out he could see of forced medication?

Turing has been given credit for some things he did not do.
For instance. Historic fact:
Enigma machine - Wikipedia

Thanks for the history lesson. Good to know Poles were also working on finding ways to decode. Still, with the constant upgrading by the Germans and the passage of a few years of the war in Europe, Turing was the one who broke the newer model.