respect for a great man

[Tjerk12]

Respect.
Today, exactly 58 years ago a man committed suicide. He drenched an apple in arsenic and took some bites of it.
This man was driven to this deed by the cruelty and intolerance of the people of The United Kingdom.
He was a homosexual, a quality people did not accept in those days (it took until 1967 to legalize be a homosexuality in the UK).
He was not a normal man, no he was exceptional in various ways. He was a great scientist and one of the founders of our modern computer science. Besides he was a war hero. By cracking the Enigma codes (a German war communication system) he saved thousands and thousands of lives. He was Officer of the Order of the British Empire and Fellow of the Royal Society.
His name was Alan Turing.
He died at the age of 41.
A great man.

 

[gb2000ie]

As a gay computer scientist I've always had a special respect for Turning since the first time I heard his story.

I've visited Bletchly Park where he worked during the war, and when I was there, our tour guide was a veteran from the war, who had actually worked in Bletchly while Turning was there.

There are many un-sung heros who worked in Bletchly Park during the war. The British basically invented the computer, but felt it was so important for national security that they kept it a secret, and for years, did not correct the Americans when they falsely said Eniac was the first programmable computer. Wrong, it was Colossus, and it was built and operated in Bletchly Park.

It's not for nothing that Computer Scientists very fondly refer to Turning as "The father of modern computing", a fitting tribute.

Also, the reason he was driven to suicide is even more horrible than what TJerk has already explained. His sentence was to be chemically castrated. This made him grow breasts, and basically drove him into a very deep depression. He was mentally and physically abused, stripped of his top-security clearance, made a public laughing stock, and all his war work was covered by the Official Secrets Act, so was kept secret. He could say nothing about it, and had to bear his disgrace, despite, arguably, being the man who came closest to being the one man who saved the world from Nazi tyranny!

Finally, Hollywood compounded things with one last insult. About a decade ago a film was made about his life, Code Breakers I think it was called, Hollywood kept most of his life details correct, BUT, they made him straight, and at the end of the war they marry him off and he lives happily ever after. I had just graduated with a degree in computer science around that time, and it made steam come out of my ears - the homophobic bastards!!!!

It is important to say that the British Government did make an official apology a few years ago, and, that his work is now finally getting the recognition it deserves. Not a happy ending for the man himself, but, at least his legacy has been resurrected.

Thanks for reminding us all about this gay intellectual war hero!

Bart.

 

[XMan101]

The way he was treated was disgusting. Obviously more enlightened later generations see the folly of the ways of the time. It was a different era, but we should not forget that many in the world are still going through that dark age!

He effectively invented the computer and all we have today. If he'd been allowed to carry on who knows what other brilliances would have some out, but the chemicals he was forced to take changed him, and he could no longer function the same way. His brilliance lay dormant.

It's hard to imagine in this day and age that anyone could be sentenced to a choice of physical or chemical castration, both are equally horrific, simply because of his sexuality. He had to be checked, I believe, to make sure he was taking the drug.

He is a hero of our times, and a victim of ignorance!

 

[tonka]

I never heard of this man. Thank you for sharing this.

And let this be a reminder that the "enlightened" societies of the world have a lot to answer for.

 

[etilit]

ok I'm going to be devils advocate? why should i respect a man that kills himself?

ok ok ok..i understand the irony..but??

 

[tonka]

I don't know if this should be a debate topic, but ok....

If your life has been stripped of dignity, maybe you choose the dignity of death.

 

[garth33]

Turing is respected for what he did in his life - not how he ended it. That would be termed tragedy. How much more could he have accomplished if he hadn't been persecuted for what he WAS? Not what he did mind you but for what he was. It was never about what he did - that's obvious. What he could have done we will never know because his life was cut short by his own hand. Not just the loss of one man but a loss to all of humanity...sad and inexcusable by ANY so-called societies standards.

(rant over)
g

 

[XMan101]

ok I'm going to be devils advocate? why should i respect a man that kills himself?

ok ok ok..i understand the irony..but??

If you have tetosterone removed from your body it has a very strange effect. Any one who has to have their balls removed for medical reasons, and I knew a guy once who had, he had silicon balls, has to have tetosterone injections to keep the levels up, otherwise personality changes, plus in Alan Turing's case the complete loss of dignity, all adds up to downward spiral of depression.

He might have commited the final act himself but it was the state that actually killed him.

 

[Tjerk12]

ok I'm going to be devils advocate? why should i respect a man that kills himself?

ok ok ok..i understand the irony..but??

That's personal matter. Some will do, others have reasons not to do so. Steve Jobs for example felt a great respect for this man. When he was asked about the rumor that the logo of Apple was based on this tragic suicide, he answered that it wasn't so, but he felt pity that such great thoughts hadn't crossed his mind at the crucial moment.

 

[bigsal]

ok I'm going to be devils advocate? why should i respect a man that kills himself?

ok ok ok..i understand the irony..but??

Etilit I respect you, but this is a fall of style.
Unfortunately no longer count how many people have been forced to this act insane, at least to save their dignity.
One would have passed on their experience to give a dispassionate judgment, but do not wish it on anyone.

 

[etilit]

I don't know if this should be a debate topic, but ok....

If your life has been stripped of dignity, maybe you choose the dignity of death.

shouldent everything be debated?

If you have tetosterone removed from your body it has a very strange effect. Any one who has to have their balls removed for medical reasons, and I knew a guy once who had, he had silicon balls, has to have tetosterone injections to keep the levels up, otherwise personality changes, plus in Alan Turing's case the complete loss of dignity, all adds up to downward spiral of depression.

He might have commited the final act himself but it was the state that actually killed him.

then didnt he finally get his dignity back?

That's personal matter. Some will do, others have reasons not to do so. Steve Jobs for example felt a great respect for this man. When he was asked about the rumor that the logo of Apple was based on this tragic suicide, he answered that it wasn't so, but he felt pity that such great thoughts hadn't crossed his mind at the crucial moment.

i argure he felt no pitty at all

Etilit I respect you, but this is a fall of style.
Unfortunately no longer count how many people have been forced to this act insane, at least to save their dignity.
One would have passed on their experience to give a dispassionate judgment, but do not wish it on anyone.

touche..but why would you say that?

 

[gb2000ie]

ok I'm going to be devils advocate? why should i respect a man that kills himself?

ok ok ok..i understand the irony..but??

Perhaps, the fact that he was force-fed medication that fucked with his body and his head means he was actually killed by the state? When you drive someone out of their own mind, it's just a tad harsh to hold it against them that they lost their mind.

B.

 

[bigsal]

Quote:
Originally Posted by bigsal
Etilit I respect you, but this is a fall of style.
Unfortunately no longer count how many people have been forced to this act insane, at least to save their dignity.
One would have passed on their experience to give a dispassionate judgment, but do not wish it on anyone.

touche..but why would you say that?

I mean it is difficult to imagine the state of mind and the desperation of someone who decides to end their lives.
Especially in a period like that.
Maybe today would not have made that gesture.
But we'll never know.

 

[gb2000ie]

Why are we assuming there was a sane decision made by Turning to kill himself? The man was literally mentally ill. That is not a sign of weakness, any more than catching a flu is! In this case, given that he was force-fed mind and body altering drugs, I think it's hardly surprising he was suffering psychologically.

I'm stunned that someone could degenerate a war hero because he cracked under torture by a miss-guided government. How, exactly, does his tragic downfall un-do any of the great things he did when he was of able body and mind? He is one of a small group of people who did more to save the world than anyone else, he deserves our gratitude and admiration!

I'm doubly-stunned that a person who makes no secret of having his own daemons would condemn another for suffering similarly. It makes my brain hurt as much as gay people who hate on trans people makes my brain hurt. It just does not compute, in both cases, logic surely dictates there should be MORE empathy, not less, and yet ......

B.

 

[XMan101]

shouldent everything be debated?

No, not unless you've got something sensible to add !

You obviously know nothing about him, so you focus on one issue, again without any knowledge!

 

[cacc]

Never knew that guy was gay, thank you for helping me learn something new today

 

[bigsal]

Today marks the centenary of the birth of this great man.

I thank Google who dedicated to him the doodle.

 

[slimjim]

He may be granted a postumous pardon:

http://nullrefer.com/?http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-18988608

 

[XMan101]

It's little known actually, but without him we'd never have beaten the nazis !

If unsung hero applies to anyone it's this man.