[Klug-general] Alan Turing Pardon Petition

[George Prowse]

James Blake wrote:
> Hi All
>
> I've been campaigning for a long time for an official pardon for
> Turing who, when facing prosecution in the UK for being homosexual,
> committed suicide rather than face chemical castration.  My father was
> the headmaster of Wavendon School in the grounds of Bletchley Park
> where Turing worked to crack the German Enigma code (among others), so
> I've always had an interest in the man and his work.  I know that this
> is a little 'off list' but if it wasn't for Turing we'd all still be
> using mechanical calculators and signing  Deutschland über alles every
> morning...
>
> Alan Turing was one of our country's national heros hastening the end
> of the Second World War and, along with Von Neumann, making some of
> greatest contributions to the developing what is now considered a
> computer.
>
> A petition on the same site to save Bletchley Park elicited a direct
> response from the Prime Minister, it would be great if all of those
> interested in this great man and the shameful way he was treated could
> take the time to sign this petition.
>
> For those interested in cryptoanalysis and the part it played in
> defeating the Nazis in the Second World War, there is an exhibition
> this coming weekend at Bletchley Park celebrating the 70th anniversary
> of Turing's arrival:
>
> http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/calendar/event_detail.rhtm?cat=special&recID=567861
>
> If you're interested in Turing there have been several books written
> about him, but one of the best is David Leavitt's "The Man Who Knew
> Too Much: Alan Turing and the Invention of the Computer" (ISBN
> 978-0393052367)
>
> The petition for an official pardon for Turing can be found at:
>
> http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/turing/
>
>
> James
>

There are some things that are close enough to the topic to warrant a
slight deviation but getting people to sign up for things - no matter
what the subject - is too far.

This subject is already on the klug website by you, why did you think it
warranted a second inclusion?

Also, can people STOP replying to emails and then changing the subject
to reflect another completely different subject, you need to create a
new email.

George