Ahoy, Matey!

With piracy consuming the American media these days, I have to stop and give kudos to the Navy SEALS, the former hostage and Captain who was recently rescued, and to President Obama. Up until now, when I thought of pirates, I envisioned black hats with skulls, parrots on their shoulder, and... well... it never dawned on me that I've never seen a real life dark-skinned pirate.

Looking at this pirate pictured in this post, this just shatters everything I thought pirates were. There are no gold chests and other treasures on these boats. Most of these men are doing what they do because they are part of a failed government; a poor, starving nation that cannot feed its own people.

Normally, I'm not an advocate for violence. However, I agree that this piracy war will ultimately end on land... and hopefully, many nations can truly work together on this issue. Until then, this is what the Black Man Next Door would do if he were in command.

You remember the story of the Trojan horse? Well guess what... I'd be sailing phantom boats with fake cargo up and down the Gulf of Aden --- luring pirates like roaches. Imagine their surprise when they find nothing but a throng of troops ready to stub them out. Yes... hundreds of booby trapped boats... like mobile roach motels, giving pirates something to marinate over.

Of course, the other option would be to simply arm these vessels so they have a fighting chance when pirates board their ships. Why there are so many unarmed boats sailing in pirate-infested waters, I'll never understand....