Pirates Ahoy!

The United States has had a long and very tumultuous history with pirates and freebooters. Even before the American Revolution, pirates like Blackbeard were actually welcomed into American ports because of the lack of British tariffs and taxes, meaning that the plunder pirates seized from legitimate merchants was sold off for a lower price than the merchants could afford to sell it for. But only twenty years after the British surrendered at Yorktown, in 1801, the First Barbary War was waged against pirates off of the North African coast. These pirates attacked private American citizens, stole from them, killed them, and caused mayhem for any economic traffic in the Mediterranean. Ending in 1805, the First Barbary War showed that the United States would not accept attacks from pirates and private groups upon her citizens or mercantile vessels. It is from this war that the Marines earned their nickname 'Leathernecks' and the line from the Marine's Hymn that goes '. . . to the shores of Tripoli'.

In 1812, the famous (or infamous) War of 1812 began. The British, eager to keep Napoleon Bonaparte landlocked on the continent of Europe, vigorously expanded their navy. In order to crew these vessels, press gangs would go through local British towns and grab almost anyone and force them into service under a policy of 'impressment'. However, to the British, seizing British citizens was simply not enough. They began seizing American merchantmen and impressing American sailors into their navy as well. This kidnapping and forced labor for a foreign government was enough to send America over the edge into war with Britain. The treaty of Ghent effectively ended the War of 1812 in 1815. For a second time in its, by now, 30 year history, America proved its willingness to fight for the safety of its citizens to the bitter end.

Just after the end of this war, America was eager to continue trade and its economic opportunities abroad. Once more looking to the Mediterranean and North Africa, America found opposition from the same source it had in 1801, the Barbary Pirates. Here, our recent enemies of the War of 1812 became our allies as the British and the Americans both fought against the so-called 'Barbary States' of Algiers, Tripoli, and Tunis. Piracy was once more firmly decried as the two former enemies fought against the common enemy, these state sponsored pirates, known as privateers. In 1816, after brutal bombardments of Algiers, the Second Barbary War was ended, and these lawless countries were eventually taken over by European powers. Tripoli returned to the possession of the Ottoman Empire, and Algiers and Tunis were, over the course of the rest of the century, acquired by France.

In 1916 during the Mexican Revolution, General Francisco "Pancho" Villa led a cross border raid on Columbus, New Mexico, stealing 100 horses and killing 18 men, ultimately leading to a punitive expedition to track down Villa led by General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing. Pirates didn't need to attack by sea to provoke a response from the United States and her military.

Now we have seen that America, in her history, may have dealt with dubious pirates, though it is worthy to note that it was off the coast of Virginia where Blackbeard met his end after a conspiracy of British sailors and the British Governor of the Virginia set up a trap for Captain Teach. While dealing with pirates, America as a nation has never tolerated attacks by private groups, even state backed privateers, on our citizens. We've even gone to war over pirates attacking our financial interests. Pirates, of a sort, even hijacked four planes on September 11th, 2001 and attacked American interests and private citizens. Yet in our recent 2008 election year, we were promised "Hope" and "Change" by now President Obama. Three months into his rule as President of the United States shows not one, but two fairly major hostage crises one right after the other as pirates capture two vessels, one cargo ship, and the other a tugboat.

Off the coast of one of the poorest nations in the world, Somalia, these pirate attacks have no particular vendetta against American shipping, yet here we have President Obama attempting to negotiate with them and failing utterly. Since when did America become a nation of cowards who's strongest reaction to acts of international piracy and terrorism is that of a few harsh verbal reprimands and head nodding? The United States doesn't negotiate with terrorists. We have a long proud history of making sure that these rats (my apologies to the perfectly good rodents who may take offense to this), are sent scurrying back to their holes. But apparently "Hope" and "Change" only mean that the United States government isn't willing to back up their harsh reprimands with any force, entrusting its own citizens to fend for themselves. Ladies and Gentlemen, if this is "Change" for the future, if this is "Hope", then I want none of it. The price of paying taxes to a government for protection only to have to protect myself from outside private groups is not taxation at all, it is extortion. Mister Obama. Keep your Hope and Change. I'm certain that many American people only want to be safe and to have our country back.