Mattsdigs 104 Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 The great and brilliant Alan Turing has been finally pardoned after so many years. Alan Turing worked at Bletchley Park during the second world war and helped in breaking the coding on the Enigma machine amongst other very important code work. Sadly, for him, he was accused of being Homosexual and rather than face prison and subsequent national disgrace he chose Chemical Castration rather than prison. The treatment did not stop his feelings and driven beyond despair he ate an apple which had been soaked in cyanide and in the doing so took his own life. This action, it is believed helped to create the image that we see today on all apple Logo,s http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25495315 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 I did read the book The Secret Life of Bletchley Park: The History of the Wartime Codebreaking Centre by the Men and Women Who Were There Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 Now how about a posthumous knighthood? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 Me & Mrs Catfan had a wander down to Bletchley Park a few years ago, fantastic day out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colly0410 1,181 Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 If he'd lived into the 1970's he'd have been a super hero when the code breaking secrets came out, & who knows what other things he could have invented....RIP Alan wherever you are.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
zab 47 Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 I'm pleased he's been given a royal pardon, let's face it - the treatment given to all homosexuals in that era was dreadful. I also sympathise with those that say the pardon should be extended to other victims. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilboro-lad 294 Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 Why didn't he just keep his mouth shut? Do you go around shouting "I'm a heterosexual"? Why do gays feel the need to do so? Anyway, I'm sure i read that his death was an accident, that the apple became contaminated accidentally. Who would take a bite of a poisoned apple, not knowing whether there would be a lethal dose when he could simply swallow a potion or tablet that would ensure his death? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
zab 47 Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 Why didn't he just keep his mouth shut? Do you go around shouting "I'm a heterosexual"? Why do gays feel the need to do so? He didn't - the following article has details on his offence and conviction. http://www.newstatesman.com/david-allen-green/2013/07/putting-right-wrong-done-alan-turing Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stan 386 Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 He didn't - the following article has details on his offence and conviction. http://www.newstatesman.com/david-allen-green/2013/07/putting-right-wrong-done-alan-turing That`s right,-convicted himself. The article is well worth a read if you have the time,especially the legal arguments. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stan 386 Posted December 25, 2013 Report Share Posted December 25, 2013 The proposed statutory pardon for Alan Turing is modelled on the statutory pardon for the executed deserters. The pardon does not affect either the conviction or the sentence. (From a pedantic point of view, the probation order imposed on Turing was not a "sentence” under section 3 of the Criminal Justice Act 1948 but an alternative to a sentence. Also under section 12 of the 1948 Act, a conviction such as Turing's which resulted in a probation order was to be legally disregarded. Therefore Turing’s conviction has already been disregarded as a matter of law. So not only is there no defendant alive to take the benefit of the pardon, there is in Turing’s case arguably no conviction or sentence even capable technically of being the subject of a pardon.) The promoters of the statutory pardon know that a statutory pardon is a gesture. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted December 25, 2013 Report Share Posted December 25, 2013 The laws against homosexuals only applied to men too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stan 386 Posted December 25, 2013 Report Share Posted December 25, 2013 You may find this interesting,Bubblewrap. The word homosexual is not mentioned, and nor is any synonym. This is because the law did not prohibit homosexuality per se. The offence was targeted not at what was thought, but at what was physically done: it was not male homosexuality which was to be punished but its intimate manifestation. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted December 25, 2013 Report Share Posted December 25, 2013 A no doubt brilliant man, however at the time of his conviction homosexuality with men was an offence. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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