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delrem

(9,688 posts)

5. I''m not inclined to stand in line to pardon the gov't

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 02:42 AM

Jul 2013

for doing this to him in the first place.

In fact I think it isn't forgivable.

For one thing, Turing isn't just an "Enigma codebreaker".
His papers can also be thought of as laying down the foundation of computation as we now know it.
Turing's place in history is his, and his alone.
Papers such as that aren't produced by a deficiency of character.

Considering the *crime* against the man inflicted by the gov't, and a lethal crime was in fact committed against the man, a retroactive "pardon" for a "crime" that doesn't exist doesn't have any weight at all. None at all.

So fuck the "pardon", that assumes guilt on the pardoned part and a kind of unctuous righteousness on the part of the the presumptuous "pardoners".

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Enigma codebreaker Alan Turing to be given posthumous pardon [View all] onehandle Jul 2013 OP

It is about time! n/t xocet Jul 2013 #1

You beat me to it! n.t. RoccoR5955 Jul 2013 #19

Agreed. nt awoke_in_2003 Jul 2013 #23

honored to be the 5th Rec for a world hero, who was a Gay man! Divine Discontent Jul 2013 #2

Not nearly enough. sir pball Jul 2013 #47

hear hear! Divine Discontent Jul 2013 #57

Marian Rejewski about 1932, when he first broke Enigma. Major Hogwash Jul 2013 #3

Thanks for the fill in dipsydoodle Jul 2013 #14

There is more to the story melm00se Jul 2013 #48

OMG! SoapBox Jul 2013 #4

I''m not inclined to stand in line to pardon the gov't delrem Jul 2013 #5

I regard pardons of this sort as a way of the government saying "WE were wrong," not that MADem Jul 2013 #6

If that were the story, it would be the lead. delrem Jul 2013 #7

Well, perception is a funny thing. nt MADem Jul 2013 #8

I suppose it is, MADem. delrem Jul 2013 #9

My perception is that the government is embarrassed by the conduct of the leadership in the MADem Jul 2013 #10

A "pardon" is different than a declaration that charge was *null*, delrem Jul 2013 #11

Whatever. I don't see Parliament doing that very often, or even ever. The Pardon is how they do it. MADem Jul 2013 #12

OK - gotcha. delrem Jul 2013 #13

Might be nice if they just came out and said that skepticscott Jul 2013 #15

Well, Gordon Brown did say exactly that. We're sorry, you deserved so much better. MADem Jul 2013 #28

What they said was not my point skepticscott Jul 2013 #30

Well, you can go back and yell at every PM before Brown, it won't change a thing. MADem Jul 2013 #33

Well, don't fool yourself that every word and phrase skepticscott Jul 2013 #34

As a former speechwriter, I know this. MADem Jul 2013 #35

I never said I didn't agree skepticscott Jul 2013 #36

I think it was heartfelt and entirely sincere. I think Gordon Brown meant every single word of it. MADem Jul 2013 #44

That still leaves unanswered the question of why skepticscott Jul 2013 #45

Well, of course it isn't "personal." No one alive today was responsible for the reprehensible MADem Jul 2013 #51

Which is exactly why skepticscott Jul 2013 #53

So, let's just skip it, then. Don't bother. It'll never be good enough. No apologies. No MADem Jul 2013 #55

Here is the flaw in your thinking and the UK government's extreme hubristic bigotry: Bluenorthwest Jul 2013 #17

What was it that Confucius said about a journey of a thousand miles? MADem Jul 2013 #25

Here's how it's done delrem Jul 2013 #27

I invite your attention to POST 28. MADem Jul 2013 #29

That *is* better. delrem Jul 2013 #32

Good for Turning. secondvariety Jul 2013 #16

Leaving the rest indicted is their way of slapping Turing and all of the rest of us Bluenorthwest Jul 2013 #18

it just seems so petty and regressive. I searched for more news on this as I wondered- KittyWampus Jul 2013 #38

So the government apologizes to itself and gives itself a pardon Laughing Mirror Jul 2013 #20

The pardon is a legal thing--what it means in this case is "You committed no crime." MADem Jul 2013 #31

And a fat lot of good it will do the bloke. malthaussen Jul 2013 #21

Good Turing had class. Govvies need to stay on their toes. toby jo Jul 2013 #22

They should make a staute of this great man and put it in a prominent space so it can inspire others grantcart Jul 2013 #24

There's a spare plinth in Trafalgar, why not? nt MADem Jul 2013 #26

I agree. nt msanthrope Jul 2013 #37

He deserves a spot skepticscott Jul 2013 #41

He was cremated, and his ashes scattered, so one can't dig him up. MADem Jul 2013 #43

Trafalgar wouldn't be bad skepticscott Jul 2013 #46

I dunno....I think some would regard it as hypocritical. MADem Jul 2013 #49

Well, Charles Darwin is buried in Westminster skepticscott Jul 2013 #50

That was before the A Team was so "active" re: their disdain for religion. MADem Jul 2013 #52

As noted, Westminster Abbey is much more than a church skepticscott Jul 2013 #54

But it IS a church. I'd be interested in hearing how the "A" Team here on DU would MADem Jul 2013 #56

We need someone of his intelligence now xfundy Jul 2013 #39

This can't happen soon enough. TroglodyteScholar Jul 2013 #40

Imagine if his sexuality had been accepted by society and he had lived 40 more years daleo Jul 2013 #42