I was pretty pleased last week to see the British PM get around to issuing an apology for their government’s treatment of Alan Turing. Being a computer geek, and a bit of a crypto amateur, the things done at Bletchley Park generally, and by Turing specifically (and not just during the war), are things of interest to me. Being a, you know, more-or-less civilized person, I abhorred the treatment that Turing, like so many others throughout history, was subjected to. And if it’s meaningful to abhor something more, then this was certainly an egregious case, between Turing’s effect on the development of technology, and the debt his country could meaningful be said to owe to him from his work in the war.
In any case, seeing Brown say “we’re sorry, you deserved so much better” is quite satisfying, even if it was in response to public petition.
Of course the most important thing about the apology was concisely said by pnh when quoting the apology:
I reproduce this, not because I think it shows Brown to be a politician of unique courage and vision (he’s not), but because it’s interesting that in at least some parts of the First World, it’s now possible for even national leaders to speak sensibly and straightforwardly about homosexuality and homophobia without the sky falling in on them. I look forward to this spreading to the more backward parts of the globe, such as the United States.
Moral progress can be spurred by heroes doing heroic things, but we know it’s actually happened when everyday people, including everyday politicians, do the right thing because doing the right thing is simply normal.
I’ll take those rays of hope for civilization where I can get them.
