The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
That dog is doomed to disappointment!
You'd think it could figure out something wasn't right . . .
This scene is the genesis for a poignant reflection on life and prejudice. The statue is of Alan Turing.
It's hard to overstate his accomplishments. He provided the theoretical framework that was used to create the computer as we know it. He was the cryptographer who made possible the operation in England that broke the German codes during WWII. He was one of the great early researchers into the field of mathematical biology. Princeton University considers him the second most important graduate they've ever had. The computer science price equivalent to the Nobel prize is called the Turing prize.
Turing was gay. In 1952, he reported a break-in at his house to the police. In the course of giving the facts to the police, he admitted that he had had a relationship with the man who broke into his house.
He was prosecuted and convicted of gross indecency, as homosexual acts were illegal in GB at the time. He was forced to submit to chemical castration, lost his security clearance, etc.
Two years later, he was found dead of cyanide poisoning with a partially eaten apple beside him. You can see the apple in the statue's hand - the dog thinks it's a ball.
He was 42.
In 2009, a drive was begun to have the British government apologize for the treatment he suffered at their hands. The prime-minister accepted the petition, and the government did apologize.
I think it makes the video of the dog trying to play with the statue symbolic in a particularly heart-wrenching way.
This scene is the genesis for a poignant reflection on life and prejudice. The statue is of Alan Turing.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to overstate his accomplishments. He provided the theoretical framework that was used to create the computer as we know it. He was the cryptographer who made possible the operation in England that broke the German codes during WWII. He was one of the great early researchers into the field of mathematical biology. Princeton University considers him the second most important graduate they've ever had. The computer science price equivalent to the Nobel prize is called the Turing prize.
Turing was gay. In 1952, he reported a break-in at his house to the police. In the course of giving the facts to the police, he admitted that he had had a relationship with the man who broke into his house.
He was prosecuted and convicted of gross indecency, as homosexual acts were illegal in GB at the time. He was forced to submit to chemical castration, lost his security clearance, etc.
Two years later, he was found dead of cyanide poisoning with a partially eaten apple beside him. You can see the apple in the statue's hand - the dog thinks it's a ball.
He was 42.
In 2009, a drive was begun to have the British government apologize for the treatment he suffered at their hands. The prime-minister accepted the petition, and the government did apologize.
I think it makes the video of the dog trying to play with the statue symbolic in a particularly heart-wrenching way.