Alan's Apology

Gordon Brown recently decided to apologise for something. The treatment of Alan Turing. For those of you not in the know, Alan Turing was an important part in Britain's victory in World War Two. And he was treated in a vile way because of his sexual orientation. As Brown writes in an article for the Telegraph:

In 1952, he was convicted of "gross indecency" – in effect, tried for being gay. His sentence – and he was faced with the miserable choice of this or prison – was chemical castration by a series of injections of female hormones. He took his own life just two years later.

Effectively, British society and the establishment forced Turing into suicide in the 1950s. Of course Turing faced an abominable choice and no-one deserves to be hounded to his death for being gay. Yet I'm not sure that Brown's solution is the best one:

So on behalf of the British government, and all those who live freely thanks to Alan's work, I am very proud to say: we're sorry. You deserved so much better.

Yes, Turing deserved better. Yes, he did vital work for the British government. But he died over half a century ago. Those who persecuted him - those who effectively forced him into his early grave - are also (almost certainly) dead. Whilst I'm prepared to blame Gordon Brown for one hell of a lot, I'm not prepared to blame him for a death he clearly had nothing to do with. And as nice as his gesture is, it will mean fuck all to Alan Turing. Because, y'know, the guy's dead.

Every Prime Minister is perfectly entitled to feel regret for things that happened in the past. And if (s)he wants to publicly express his/her regret (even if it is in response to an internet campaign rather than a deeper moral concern) that is fine as well - particularly if he or she thinks there is something relevant to this day and age about the events of the past. However, the Prime Minister cannot really apologise for anything other than that what he or she has been directly been responsible for. Brown might meaningfully apologise for his support for the Iraq War or his role in nearly bankrupting the UK. He could realistically say sorry for seizing power in an unelected coup, or for the al Megrahi release. However, it is pointless and fatuous for Brown to apologise for something that happened when he was less than five years old.

Homophobia is still a real problem in Britain in 2009. So is sexism, racism and a whole host of other forms of discrimination. If Brown actually wants to do something useful, he could focus more on the present than on making an apology in the sad case of Alan Turing.