PIRATES

Well, I see a few folks on the net, some of whom may just be trying to yank our chain, are complaining about our rescue of Captain Phillips of SS Alabama. They say that we violated the rights of the Somali pirates who had briefly seized his ship.

Some folks who come from other countries are angry that the pirates who hold some 200 hostages may react against non-US hostages. While I understand those concerns, I have nothing but contempt for folks who want to turn thugs and criminals into victims. For centuries, those who have raised the jolly roger have known that the penalty for piracy is a dance at the end of a rope over the yardarm or a bullet in the head.

The complainers forget that, as an American flagged vessel, it was US territory. Piracy has always been a risky business, and the three thugs who made the mistake of invading the United States of America paid the price. Now they are dead, we have our citizen back and that's pretty much how I, for one, hoped it would turn out.