Gay men pardoned for historic offences.

[ReallyTired]

Gay men are to be pardoned for "offences" that now no longer exist. I can understand the gentleman in the clip who wants an apology rather than a pardon. However is possible to apologise for something that the present govenment did? It's possible to feel sorry that he went through such an unfair ordeal, but is it impossible to apologise on the behalf of dead people.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37711518

I don't think that gay men should have to accept a pardon as such. Their criminal record should be erased without the person needing to ask.

It should not be a pardon and of course an apology is possible, it's been done in situations like this for historic wrongs.

A 'pardon' suggests wrong doing by those persecuted when of course it was the state in the wrong.

You can be sorry that a person was unfairly convicted of an offence. However you can not apologise for wrong doing that you were not responsible for. There is subtle difference between say "I sorry that X happened to you" and a direct apology.

I think a letter saying the govenment recognises that what happens to those gay men all those years ago was wrong and that the criminal record has been erased would be proper.