Just Broke: Turing Given Royal Pardon!

[ChillDoubt]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25495315

Not before time!

[douglas9401]

Does that mean he comes back to life and gets on with things?
Royal pardon? Nonsense.

[Buenchico]

Can we have one for Oscar Wilde then?

[ChillDoubt]

You can always ask Chris Grayling, Buenchico.

[jno]

I guess people still remember Turing personally, but not Wilde.

No practical effect on Turing, but on his record, yes.

[Gromit]

Posthumous apologies and pardons are pretty pointless. The fact is, Turing helped us to win the war and we repayed him by hounding him to his death. I would hope we would be more tolerant these days though there are plenty of Governments that still persecute homosexuals.

[jeffa]

What nonsense! The fact that we no longer agree with the stupid crime of which he was convicted doesn't mean that it didn't happen! What about all the other homosexuals who had their lives ruined by this stupid law? Are they all now suddenly pardoned?

Turing is one of the greatest Britons who ever lived. That doesn't mean he didn't break the law as it was at the time, however stupid we think that law was these days.

[Ellipsis]

This straight, white, Anglo-Saxon male thinks it's brilliant news.

[Canary42]

I presume that by "dirty acts" solvitquick is referring to anal intercourse - something which in this country is actually practised by far more heterosexual couples than homosexuals.

[ChillDoubt]

I concur Ellipsis (insert Celt for Anglo-Saxon though).

[emmie]

i am glad for his families sake and any descendants, a truly great man

[pixie373]

I,agree with jeffa. It's better to learn and move on. I'm sure his family feel the same way about him, royal pardon or not.

[mushroom25]

surely this is just the natural extension of legislation introduced last year?
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/05/01/law-to-wipe-gay-sex-convictions-given-royal-assent/

[mikey4444]

Can't agree with most on here. He was a great British war hero and was treated appallingly. He never did anyone any harm and the law shouldn't have been in place in the first place. People were still being targeted by the Plods until a few years ago for a crime that was a crime on paper only.

[whiskeryron]

// I presume that by "dirty acts" solvitquick is referring to anal intercourse - something which in this country is actually practised by far more heterosexual couples than homosexuals. //

You can prove this of course.

WR.

[Sqad]

Turing broke the law as it was then and paid the price that ANY convicted homosexual would pay and I agree totally with Buenchico.....how about other homosexuals thus treated including Oscar Wilde.

We have been told recently in a particular thread that being a " War hero" should not immunise you from the law even if it is described by some as a bad law.

He has a thoroughfare in Manchester named after him and that should be enough.

[Kromovaracun]

I don't know, Sqad I think the 'badness' of the law should be taken into account. If Turing had, say, been a convicted pedophile, then he quite rightly wouldn't have been pardoned.

And you're right - they can't pardon every single man who was prosecuted under the old law. But Turing is something of an iconic figure in the gay community, and pardoning him sends a message that effectively applies to more anonymous cases which the state does not have time to issue pardons for.

[DTCwordfan]

How redundant - unless he is related to Jesus and can rise from the dead.