Global Crime: Pirates
Kaitlyn Toomes
February 23, 2011
1:04PM
Pirates, Pirates, and More Pirates
This week four American citizens were killed by Somali pirates who hijacked the yacht the Americans were traveling on. According to experts "it's rare for pirates to kill their hostages." After all, no hostages to save means no money for the pirates. However, I must note that the article does address that "several hostages have died over the years when they suffered heart attacks and could not reach a hospital." These hostages must have willingly chosen to be captured and willed a heart attack to happen to not be considered deaths due to pirates. Through this trying time on the open ocean the U.S. naval forces in the region did try to negotiate with the pirates to have the hostages freed; yet, when the U.S. naval forces boarded the yacht the hostages had already been shot, "some were still alive and given medical treatment, but all died." However, the Somali pirates see the events of the past few days as completely different. Liban Muse, a member of the pirate group involved in this incident, insist that "the U.S. military fired first" and that their "preference is only to take ships and ransom money, not to kill." After all, the world should believe people who capture, steal, loot, and cause terror to innocent people.
I am honestly not sure who is more delusional in this situation. The experts that are shocked that people who provide such terror to individuals would stoop as low as to kill the hostages that they captured in the first place or the pirates who think that any sane person would trust a word they say. Pirates have always been around causing hysteria and doing all around bad things; however, in the past few years pirates have risen again on the scale of social problems. It baffles me that the group of pirates responsible for these deaths are turning these murders onto the military forces. Why should pirates have any right to decide to kill any person, regardless of who is supposedly attacking them? The pirates captured the hostages with the intent to collect ransom and steal the ship. Who in their right mind would believe the pirates? Let's face it pirates are not really known for their morally sound and law abiding ways. So, here is the real social problem. Not only does the world have to find a way to fix the social problem of pirates, but the world also creates a social problem by giving the pirates a way to let their excuses be heard. I am positive that some person out there will read this article and think "well if the military shot at them first I can see where they are coming from." You must admit we all know a person like this. So now instead of seeing the pirates for what they really are, a problem, we can empathizes with them? If the pirates are able to blame the military for the killing of hostages, rapist should be able to blame the government for their impulses as well. While we are on a roll can we go ahead and place blame on the law enforcement for our speeding tickets?
Source:
Deaths of Americans at Hands of Somali Pirates a Troubling Escalation in Violence, Experts Say
Gold, S. (2011, February 23). Deaths of Americans at hands of Somali pirates a troubling escalation in violence, experts say. Retrieved from http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/02/killing-of-yachting-couple-marks-troubling-escalation-in-somali-pirate-crisis-experts-say.html
4 comments:
I find your post troubling. I would suggest that you look into the history and current events of Somalia before making the statement that Somali pirates should have no voice. It has been reported that piracy is the result of Western nations' practice of fishing the waters of Somalia, since they have depleted their own fisheries, and dumping toxic waste. This is a serious injustice and it has to be asked why people residing in Somalia should be expected to tolerate it and also why such practices on the part of Western nations have not been talked about openly.
Obviously, if Somali pirates are so ignorant, their arguments should be easily refuted, so why not have a dialogue? If the West's arguments are so strong they will win. The argument that are enemies are inherently wrong and that we don't have to listen to them goes back to an ancient fallacy of those in power, namely, if I can beat you up then I am right and you are wrong.
I suspect the real problem here is that there is a lack of occupational opportunity created by Western fishing companies driving Somalis out of Somali waters. In view of this, they have had to innovate. It should always be remembered that people do not starve quietly.
I understand that your point may be valid. However, are we to allow the Somali pirates to commit crimes because the Western nations are fishing the waters of Somalia, since they have depleted their own fisheries, and dumping toxic waste? I understand that the situation may not be ideal, but a crime is a crime no matter what the reason behind it. Would it be okay for a person to go rob a gas station because gas prices have risen due to conflict in the Middle East? I agree that everyone deserves a voice, but how can anyone justify kidnapping hostages no matter what the reason. Are we to allow the murderers to place the burden of murder onto another? After all they admit the murder, but they are attempting to say it was the rescuers fault. Maybe the Western nations have caused problems for Somali, I can concede to that, but that did not make the loss of human life understandable. In the end, regardless of what happened, which we as outsiders will never know, the loss of human life is evident. I do respect your opinion and understand (i.e. I would never harbor ill will towards anyone for expressing their opinion), but I do value human life and the right to live over the right of a murderer to place the blame of his actions on another human being.
I have more, just because I think you need to understand exactly what my feelings have arisen from. Honestly, I was extremely disturbed that the media would feed into this. I will never find it to be acceptable for the media to plaster an excuse “justifying” a person’s murderous actions over the news. I know from experience the last thing I wanted to wake up to after my friend was killed was the newspaper that read the murderer was drunk and had had a rough life that led to alcoholism. When I read this article I thought of the victim’s loved ones who would read this article and of the pain they would feel. To me that is honestly worse than not allowing a person to “justify” such horrendous actions. I am not discrediting the situation that may have led to drastic measures. I felt I made it clear that I felt the real social problem was the media’s apt to feed into these murderer's excuses.
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