Booty Call

One might not know it, but pirates are still in our midst. I am not talking about cyber pirates, which I believe most of us have been at some point, who torrent and illegally download. The pirates I mean are modern day buccaneers of the sea and they are still as nasty as ever. The article I read essentially spoke about the re-occurring events involving these ocean bandits. The author, Daniel Engber, knew his stuff, from the prime locations for sea attacks to take place, to even how the United Nations are trying to deal with the epidemic. It was actually very informative. The pirates today are not like the rum-drinking party animals as seen in Peter Pan. These pirates can be seen more as water terrorists who kidnap and pillage poor, unsuspecting tugboats. The tone of the article was also humorous at times. Yet what could be funny about these aquatic criminals? The author states that they are only after our “booty” makes it very difficult not to smile while reading. Engber decides to conclude by mentioning 9,000 volt fence used as a defense against the pirates. The positioning of this statement at the very end of the article just makes it seem like the cherry on top. As for the audience, I think it would be anyone from the sea captain who can relate to these atrocities to the semi-interested teenager who has yet to find their sea-legs. Not being a frequent sailor myself, I learned a lot about an issue that before reading, I didn’t even know existed.