Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of go f*ck yourself
I've had it with all the recent -- and by that, I mean over the last five years or so -- romanticization of pirates. Blame Hollywood, blame Disney, blame costume manufacturers, whatever.
The modern reality of pirates is shocking, brutal and deadly (recent proof here). I doubt that the historical reality was all that much different.
Really ... think about this for a minute, before you attend a local "pillage party" or send your kid out dressed like Jack Sparrow. Pirates off the coast of Somalia are blocking UN food aid deliveries. Ransoms paid are financing civil war. Unless you think starvation and murder are somehow romantic, please ... just don't.
I am NOT sorry if this offends anyone. That people choose to propagate this myth offends ME.
The modern reality of pirates is shocking, brutal and deadly (recent proof here). I doubt that the historical reality was all that much different.
Really ... think about this for a minute, before you attend a local "pillage party" or send your kid out dressed like Jack Sparrow. Pirates off the coast of Somalia are blocking UN food aid deliveries. Ransoms paid are financing civil war. Unless you think starvation and murder are somehow romantic, please ... just don't.
I am NOT sorry if this offends anyone. That people choose to propagate this myth offends ME.