Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sat 15th Dec 2012 19:11 UTC
"Peers and scientists including Professor Stephen Hawking are once again pushing for an official pardon for codebreaker Alan Turing. Turing's death from cyanide poisoning in 1954 was ruled a suicide, coming after his conviction for gross indecency at a time when homosexuality was illegal." The fact that he still hasn't been pardoned is an utter disgrace.
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Member since:2007-02-18
Stephen Hawking and his ilk just want Alan Turing pardoned because he is famous, not for any other reason.
But what is Alan Turing famous for? He wasn't famous for being a Z-list celebrity who appeared on Celebrity Big Brother.
His work probably saved millions of lives.
People should stop using the word "famous" or "celebrity" as though Turing didn't deserve it.
We can all choose words which makes it looks like our arguments has more depth than it really has, so no, calling Turing "famous" or "celebrity" is not a legitimate argument.
Member since:2009-03-27
People should stop using the word "famous" or "celebrity" as though Turing didn't deserve it.
Yet she wasn't using "famous" or "celebrity" as though Turing didn't deserve it. You just misread her comment/didn't understand her point.
We can all choose words which makes it looks like our arguments has more depth than it really has, so no, calling Turing "famous" or "celebrity" is not a legitimate argument.
Her argument isn't deep at all, quite the contrary, it's a very simple point that she's trying to make: no one should be given special privileges by the law. The fact that Turing deserves his fame and so much good came from his work only underscores the argument.
Member since:2008-11-19
You're right this is purely symbolic. No, that doesn't make it less worthwhile. This would highlight the fact that an injustice against gay people was done even though the victim in this case made an invaluable wartime contribution, and that the UK is acknowledging both the rights of gay people and Turing's work.
Member since:2009-03-17
Member since:2009-05-19
I am somewhat disappointed in mr. Hawking as this just goes to display that even he believes being famous or rich makes one more important than the other people and the rich/famous should therefore be treated better than the rest -- I heartily disagree with such a view of the world.
No... This shows that people that have great deeds behind their names are worthy. And yes, people that save other people, people that do something highly admirable do actually deserve to be treated better than most of us. The deserved it by doing sh*t, not sitting and writing comments on the internet. Some of them might have actually created the internet.
Turing wasn't famous or rich, by the way.
You are mixing amnesty and pardon. A pardon is granted to a person guilty of a crime to clear his name in extraordinary cases. Amnesties are mass pardons. Passing an amnesty is hard. They want to just legally clear Turing's name, nothing else.
Edited 2012-12-17 01:33 UTC
Member since:2005-07-06
I am somewhat disappointed in mr. Hawking as this just goes to display that even he believes being famous or rich makes one more important than the other people
IIRC (from the stories when he was looking for a new assistant), Hawking isn't that nice in person. :p
But then, with his accomplishments, he doesn't have to be.
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2006-02-15
This is what bothers me so much about these kinds of deals: Stephen Hawking and his ilk just want Alan Turing pardoned because he is famous, not for any other reason. I am somewhat disappointed in mr. Hawking as this just goes to display that even he believes being famous or rich makes one more important than the other people and the rich/famous should therefore be treated better than the rest -- I heartily disagree with such a view of the world. Either call for pardoning for all the people prosecuted under the homosexuality-is-illegal law or none.