I have just watched the film ‘The Imitation Game’ about Alan Turin’s work at Bletchley Park during the Second World War.
One strand of the film was concerned with the breaking of the Enigma code and the moral dilemmas that produced. Alan’s breaking of the code was thought to have reduced the length of the war by 2 years and saved fourteen million lives. That’s quite an achievement.
Alan Turin was the father of the modern-day computer. And I wonder just how many people with their smart-phones, tablets, Macs and PCs realise just what an impact this man’s ideas have had on the modern world.
Another element of the film was concerned with sexism and homophobia. Women were treated as second class citizens and consigned to clerical roles with no regard to their intellect. They were seen as being inferior in every respect.
Homosexuality was a crime punishable with prison. Alan Turin was arrested and prosecuted for his homosexuality in 1952 and treated with hormonal castration that affected his mind and health. He committed suicide a year later.
The intolerance of homosexuals and callous treatment handed out to them destroyed one of the greatest minds the world has ever seen.
This is a film that sound be compulsory viewing for all bigots. Intolerance, bigotry and the arrogance that enables people to pass judgement on others for their gender or sexual orientation is a crime.
This blog promotes tolerance, harmony, respect, love and peace.
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