To think pardoning the suffragettes misses the point?

[Srumtish]

They committed wilful acts of civil disobedience. Like many activists they wanted to get arrested. They took great risk to their body and mind to do so for women's equality. It's not the same as pardoning gay people because they were prosecuted for a "crime" we now know is wrong (and is no longer a crime) totally different for the reasons the sufferagettes were arrested.

It doesn't change anything, it doesn't undo the abuse they received, it's just white washing history for public relations reasons. I don't think they'd be impressed.

That's my take on it. They should never have been put in the position where they needed to break the law.

I'm sure that's how it's meant and it's all well intentioned, but they did commit those crimes and if they were alive today they wouldn't be pardoned, so it seems meaningless.

I thi k it's important to recognize civil disobedience and to acknowledge that when people commit crimes in the name of activism what they really are prepared to put themselves through

I agree with you. They had to commit those crimes to be heard. It wasn't a peaceful negotiation and they deserve to be remembered for taking risks. And succeeding.

I would probably tell them to stick their pardon up their arse.

Admittedly I am cross this week.

I agree Srumtish

Its well intentioned but it feels a bit 'we forgive you for being naughty girls'.
It's patronising to these amazingly brave and passionate women who stood up and endured, despite the terrible state sponsored torture and social exclusion.

I think that's exactly what they'd have said flo!

That was my thought too. They intended to break the law. Many other suffrage campaigners didn't.

And if we are pardoning the suffragettes, are we going to go back through history and pardon all the men prosecuted campaigning for equal franchise too? And what kind of message does it send forward? If 16 and 17 year olds want the vote they can just set fire to some letter boxes and smash windows as we don't recognise that as a crime any more if its done for good reasons.

Pardoning the suffragettes is a stupid idea.

I'd much rather see statues go up all over the country of suffragettes and women in British history instead..but doubt they'll get around to that

I didn’t think they should have a ‘pardon’. I’m sure they wouldn’t have wanted it either - the justification of women being given the right to vote was ‘pardon’ enough.

They weren’t doing anything wrong but a pardon doesn’t feel right. I can’t quite get my head around why it’s not right here but is right when, say a man is pardoned for being emprisoned for being gay way back when, or branded a deserter in ww1 when they were suffering shell shock.

I'd much rather they made sure it was something taught to kids in history lessons at school.

The only history we ever learnt was white male history.

The gay man was pardoned for committing a crime that we now no longer see as a crime. The suffragettes crimes are still crimes. It would be more like pardoning a woman now for having fought back her husband if he was sexually assaulting her back when it was legal for a husband to rape his wife.

The suffragettes weren't arrested for secretly voting for years iyswim.

And those gay men suffered shame for their arrests as did their families.

The suffragettes wanted to be arrested. No point talking away something they wanted!