Turing To Be On £50 Pound Note

[ChillDoubt]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48962557

Fantastic news, he was my first choice when the nominations were first announced.

[Old_Geezer]

So, do we all have to change our existing £50 notes?

[jno]

andy, remember Turing's crimes were victimless (indeed, having undergone "chemical castration", you might think he was the only victim). Savile's weren't. I don't think the comparison works.

[Mamyalynne]

Not yet, no.

[Old_Geezer]

The law treated some folk badly. Probably always did, and always will.

[dannyk13]

Andy, what that man did for this country far outweighs the crime he was charged with.Absolutely no comparison with Jimmy Savile.

[retrocop]

//I don't think the comparison works.//
Too right it doesn't work. Turing helped save lives. Saville ruined peoples lives. Turing was a quiet unassuming genius. Saville was a brash clown who played records to the gullible and made stupid gurgling noises in his throat. Any so called good deeds Saville did was for his own self promotion and aggrandissment. Of course his well advertised rightousness was well advertised and gave him an enyrance ticket to most hospital where he preyed on vulnerable people under the cover of self promoting good deeds.
I thought you disliked people who self promoted themselves and were charlatans claiming to be Journalists A-H. TR springs to mind

[naomi24]

AH, //Turing was not 'badly treated', he was prosecuted under the law as it stood at the time….//

I know, in fact I think we all know …. but the bizarre comparison you make between him and Savile is unfathomable.

[retrocop]

Unfathomable and unpalatable imo.

[naomi24]

Indeed Retrocop.

[marval]

I am pleased Alan Turing was chosen. He was my choice for all the good work he did in the war.

[hereIam]

Good call.

[sanmac]

Yes, a good choice. It's unfortunate that the decision was made to place him on such a high denomination though.

[Old_Geezer]

Thanks Mamya.

[Sqad]

I have some sympathy with the post of A-H (apart from the Jimmy Saville bit) as "at that time", Turung was a criminal who flouted the law as, whether you like it or not, homosexuality was a crime.
Poofters, shirt lifters, queers, homos were in the 40's and 50's commonly used terms for homosexuals. he went to jail, he was castrated...AT TIME. he was treated NORMALLY for homosexuals, AT THAT TIME.
All ABers of my vintage will know this and all one can do is to play the cards that ones is dealt and homosexuality was not accepted and indeed was illegal........ they were the cards that were dealt.
Turing has been pardoned......and rightly so.
I would support the choice of Turing on a £50 note and I understand the post of A-H.

[Old_Geezer]

Bad law should be treated with disdain. It's a moral duty. But one tries not to judge the earlier society by the standards it was taught and so lived by. On the other hand it doesn't mean individuals can't have been treated unfairly if the law of that time is seen in retrospect to be unfair. Ultimately if one takes a stand against bad law and injustice one risks the consequences from the State from that time period.

[retrocop]

Sqad
It would be interesting to find the honest opinion of some of our sanctimonious , hand wringing, virtual signallers with regard to homosexuality if it were still a Criminal offence.

[hereIam]

Yes, sanmac at 17:08, I agree.

[ToraToraTora]

he has always been my choice, true legend.

[JimF]

Excellent news, even if the vast majority of the population will never hold such a thing in their hands.

[retrocop]

Really. Why should that be so? Surely even unemployment benefit, dole or whatever amounts to more than £50.