Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum

I remember when I was a kid, I dressed up like a pirate at least two different Halloweens... Pirates, then and now, are icons of adventure, bravery, and fun! We have movies, mini-golf courses, and restaurants that are entirely themed around the exciting antics of our favorite bad guys.

Now, though, the dark side of real piracy has come out.... And I have to say - these Somalian pirate are really starting to tick me off. Who are they to give pirates a bad name?! Who are they to seize American (or French or Egyptian or Greek or _____) ships and steal what doesn't belong to them?! Who are they to kidnap honest, hard-working sailors and hold them for ransom?! They're giving real (fake) pirates a bad name!!!

All I have to say is that this needs to be taken care of - sooner rather than later. Does anyone remember how the East India Trading Co. took care of pirates in the Caribbean back in the 18th and 19th Century? If they captured a pirate (or a ship full of pirates), they hanged them from the nearest yardarm, tree branch, or gallows. I think this is the approach the international community needs to take with today's pirates: If we catch them, we hang them - no questions asked. Or maybe we should just let Navy SEALS take sniper shots at their heads. Either one would work for me! After we've hanged (or shot) a few dozen of their buddies, maybe the rest of these good-for-nothing fake (real) pirates will hang up their swords, pull down their Jolly Roger flags, and head for dry land. All I know is that we need to leave pirating to the real (fake) pirates of yesterday!