Q) Should Alan Turing have stayed totally closeted and refrained from engaging in any homosexual behavior, so that he could have continued making computer-related contributions to society?
A) In other words, “should Alan Turing sacrificed a part of himself for the good of a society that hated and despised him and wasn't interested in doing right by him?”
No.
That's the thing about bigotry. Bigotry doesn't just harm the person the bigot hates. It harms the bigot, too.
A racist society deprives itself of the genius of its minority members and denies itself the advantages they might have offered. A sexist society deprives itself of the genius of its women and denies itself the advantages they might have offered. A homophobic society deprives itself of the genius of its gay members and deprives itself of the advantages they might have offered. Why do you think the most bigoted countries tend to be so undeveloped? Why do you think the most bigoted states in the US tend to be the poorest as well? Bigotry hurts everyone, including the bigot.
After WWII, true economic power moved from factories to information, and computers became the foundation of economic engines of wealth. Britain could have had that, but chose not to.
Imagine if some country had invented the steam engine at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, then said “naw, we don't want that, it was invented by a poofter.” It would have been invented elsewhere, that's all.
Britain basically invented the foundation of the Information Age, then said “naw, we don't want that, it was invented by a poofter,” thus ensuring that the engine of wealth and power would move elsewhere. And it did, sealing Britain’s post-WWII fate.
Bigotry hurts everyone. Including the bigot.
ඇයි කියල අහන්න එපා
A) In other words, “should Alan Turing sacrificed a part of himself for the good of a society that hated and despised him and wasn't interested in doing right by him?”
No.
That's the thing about bigotry. Bigotry doesn't just harm the person the bigot hates. It harms the bigot, too.
A racist society deprives itself of the genius of its minority members and denies itself the advantages they might have offered. A sexist society deprives itself of the genius of its women and denies itself the advantages they might have offered. A homophobic society deprives itself of the genius of its gay members and deprives itself of the advantages they might have offered. Why do you think the most bigoted countries tend to be so undeveloped? Why do you think the most bigoted states in the US tend to be the poorest as well? Bigotry hurts everyone, including the bigot.
After WWII, true economic power moved from factories to information, and computers became the foundation of economic engines of wealth. Britain could have had that, but chose not to.
Imagine if some country had invented the steam engine at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, then said “naw, we don't want that, it was invented by a poofter.” It would have been invented elsewhere, that's all.
Britain basically invented the foundation of the Information Age, then said “naw, we don't want that, it was invented by a poofter,” thus ensuring that the engine of wealth and power would move elsewhere. And it did, sealing Britain’s post-WWII fate.
Bigotry hurts everyone. Including the bigot.
ඇයි කියල අහන්න එපා
