Ahoy, maties! The two of us are slightly obsessed with pirates. You know, the shiver-me-timbers louts that wear silly clothes, talk funny and complain that the rum is always gone. The responses from bewildered friends have been varied.
Some politely attempt to change the subject - we've also received discreet inquiries whether we should be on some medication. The majority, however, put up with our enthusiasm for pirates in the same way we mostly tolerate our friend Chris and his imaginary friend.
So why drag our oddities out into the open? Because, as columnists, we feel we have that obligation. But also because, as recent headlines illustrate, there's a real problem of piracy upon the high seas that no self-respecting sea dog could ignore.
But first, a brief detour into our little world. Did you know that Sept. 19 was International Talk Like a Pirate Day? If you missed it, don't worry - it repeats every year. The event started in 1995 when John Baur and Mark Summers wisely felt it would be fun to say "Ahoy, me hearty!" instead of "hi."
Pirate Day grew in popularity as landlubbers joined the crew. In 2002, the sails began to take wind thanks to coverage from our hero and renowned humorist Dave Barry. There are now nearly 130 pirate re-enactment groups nationwide that meet each year to swashbuckle and pillage for the enjoyment of sane people.
But avast! For not all is well with our cause cél?bre. And not just because of the serious dork factor. Piracy, we are sad to say, is a real problem. And we don't mean music piracy. We mean honest-to-goodness, flag-raising, booty-stealing, high-seas-marauding pirates.
Shiver me timbers!
In early September, seven Somali pirates hijacked the yacht of a French couple as they sailed toward the Suez Canal from Australia. More recently, a group of pirates seized a Ukrainian ship off the coast of Somalia. In exchange for the release of the crew and the cargo of 33 Russian-built tanks, the pirates demanded a ransom of $2 million. These were not isolated incidents.
In fact, piracy is such a problem that the International Maritime Bureau publishes a Weekly Piracy Report. In 2006 the IMB identified 239 reported pirate attacks, a number that rose by 10 percent in 2007. Numbers from 2008 are still being compiled but seem likely to grow.
The peace and wellbeing of the community of nations requires a commitment to the rule of law both on land and on the high seas. France has recently declared its intention to protect its citizens against piracy, calling upon the world to work together to end the scourge.
"The world cannot accept this. Today, these are no longer isolated cases but a genuine industry of crime," French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in response to the yacht hijacking.
We hope nations will heed this call. Under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, any state may seize a pirate ship (or aircraft!) and anyone or anything on board. And a U.N. resolution passed in June and extended this month authorizes "all necessary means" to fight piracy. But the resolution only applies to "states with naval vessels and military aircraft operating in the area." And the laws don't compel the use of force against pirates - they just authorize it.
If law-abiding sailors are to sail the seven seas without fear of pillage, countries must strengthen the laws on the books and beef up their enforcement. Only then will we no longer feel guilty when we tell you to taste the cat-o-nine-tails, ye scurvy dog. Yarrr!
Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation predicts that this Halloween, 1.7 million American adults will dress up as pirates.
As they say on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World, "Drink up, me hearties, yo-ho!"
Ben Moss and Brittany Meyer are students in the Washington College of Law and columnists for The Eagle. You can reach them at edpage@theeagleonline.com.
