Explaining History from an Islanders point of view

Living and growing up on a pirate island is amazing and challenging but with one daughter graduating from Middle school and her team being called the Buccaneers and my second  Daughter being slightly banged up , we have had a chance to review many stories and dreams I told her as she was growing up ...one of them was my belief that sailors are blessed  by God , loved by Jesus and smiled upon by the angels.
With Her quick mind and sharper wit she layed out a trap for me to fall into by mentioning that Pirates  are also sailors ,but being ...older no more experienced I asked her to close her eyes and listen to my story , my version of history and my thoughts on Pirates .....

Just Imagine one night going out with your  buddies , you are having dinner , laughing, talking , singing songs and drinking a bit ,just enjoying your life with your friends ,bragging about your girlfriend and your dreams ….and then someone slips you a mickey  and off to sleep you go……Imagine the heart ache when you wake up on a merchant ship…  a big huge boat….. a ocean going vessal ……not a row boat but a functioning  working 7 days a week 24 hours a day boat  crammed with all sorts of stuff , other people as confused as  you  and a select group of people you don’t know …..This select group of people  won’t let you off the boat or take you back home…..They  demand you to  work or be Flogged…demand you to do unnatural things like climbing ropes on a swinging and swaying  mast or be flogged…..They  tell you ,you will be home in 2 to 5 years …..if you live …..They  demand absolute obedience and use terms and words you have never heard before nor fully understand ….They  give you strange and awful  food , They give you  limited sleeping arrangements and offer you no recourse but to sign papers saying you will work for food and maybe a small monthly allotment  if you survive and  get home .You have been just been  “IMPRESSED”.

Imagine the dispare  for these young men ,So you sign these papers pledging loyalty ,fidelity and your life to these unknown select group of  people.You  slowly and unwillingly learn the boat and the ways of a sailor. [England as well as many other nations in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s had 45 % of its sailors as sign ons ie: experienced sailors with no land based homes or families {formally impressed sailors }, 27% were impressed sailors ie as mentioned above …and now for the kicker 28% were volunteers…{that means they were impressed but told they would get a  bonus if they signed the papers quickly with no problems often at the point of a knife ..these guys were very "impressed "with thier recruiters ….lol….}.Slowly you begin to master several skills and forge bonds with others like yourself ..plucked also from thier mother’s breasts ….by the Select few and also beaten if they  don’t do as the select few say….these bonds forged with strangers grow stronger daily by working side by side with your new also “Impressed “friends .You have created a good impression not to be flogged.

Late at night , the older sailors tell you stories about how they have no home to go back too , families lost or scattered  and about life on the high seas and the different places they have been. In their eyes you still see a glimmer sadness but a flicker of pride or hope  if only given the chance , would they change the course of their lives………..They also whisper stories of men unlike them … free to choose their lives , their own boats , free to choose their own captains , master at arms , Quatermaster ,and First mate  and if these elected officers “screw up” they get voted out of the picture and off the boat …..They vote on where to go , who to see and what to do …they get real profit sharing ….they have real vested interested in the success of the voyage ….they get workmans comp [if they get hurt they get a pay out ]…..free health care …… free dental…life insurance pay out for thier wives .They develop their own set of rules for each trip for all to abide by …..they have formed a loose confederacy or union of men or even better a  breathen  of friends …….real democracy in action .

One day while sailing the select few  yell put more sail on….. and keep looking behind them at the two or three small ships behind them . Slowly the smaller boats get closer and closer and the select few get more and more nervious …..they understand what is happening and what will happen….The loan sharks[the guys from Holland who call themselves the East India trading company[very similar to Italian import/export companies  ] or the boys at Lloyds  bar and grill in London who run the insurance {imagine someone insuring cargo   for amounts of currency that are currently unknown  , the total quanity of product unknown  ,the total  quality of product is unknown and the delivery  is to be determined  at a later date weather permitting if the person handling the money lives long enough} ] Both of those groups   loaned  the select few the money for this voyage……and those guys  will not forgive them  if they loose the cargo [the VIG on a ship and cargo was fantastic 1000% or more ]and they” the loan sharks “will go after the select fews  families ….The select few  don’t want to die, get hurt or mained ….ie: better to save the ship or partial cargo and plan on a future voyage …then to die and  loose it all .

As the small boats come along side ,weapons are being passed out to you and your friends to defend the select fews ship…..hummm…..fight for  select few  you don’t know or like  , for a cargo that means nothing to you ,possibly get hurt for someone who beats you ,possibly die for someone who kidnapped you …hummm  …… ……..as the smaller boats come along side they unfurl the skull and cross bones …stating  “stand and deliver ,no mercy no quarter “ meaning stop the boat now  and we the free democratic sailors on the smaller ships will give you directions home or to the nearest port check your supplies as you may be lost wondering about in a big ocean and in return we will help you settle  your cargo ie  lighten your load so you can get home faster to see your loved ones and this cargo you have given us for directions and safe passage , we will sell it for you  locally to save you time , shipping costs  and to releave  you of the huge  capital gains  and import tax burden that will be placed upon you , on a side note :  you get to live another day [also remember the free democratic sailors  don’t want to get hurt , die or sustain injury either]   …it is a win win solution  for everyone ……. or you the select few can fire a shot and  the free democratic sailors trying to assit you and offer you help out on the big ocean will put you all to the sword because you have been impolite by not stopping  and saying hello ,you have been mean by making the free democratic sailors sweat in the heat and not waving back or saying hello ,  you have thrown a temper tantrum by firing a shot perhaps and given those poor democraticly elected sailors a headache by the noise.

Hopefully you will stop ...While cargo is being transferred to the smaller boats everyone is freely given the option of listening to the recruiters sales pitch for the  Christian non demoninational democraticsea faring coalition of men who promise you …..  better working hours , better  food ,workmans comp and profit sharing ….. or remaining with the Select Fews  Boat and maybe getting paid [remember the cargo just left with the Christian brotherhood of democratic seafarers  and your hopes of collecting a small daily wage after they [the select few]deducted out for loss of cargo , your food bill ,clothes ,blankets  , gloves ,and rain gear are now gone , you are now officially qualified as a debtor and liable to be thrown into debtors prison  upon return home or forced to work this debt off.]

Tough choices for these young men torn from their mothers bossum …hmmmm…..freedom ,democracy and profit sharing  …………..or………….. possible beatings , debtors prison and no guarrentee of getting paid …..ummmmm!!!!!!! what would you do???

Start a revolution [as we did in Texas ], establish your own Country [as we did in Texas ], develope your own system of Seafaring managment  for Global politics [as we did in Texas and on Galveston island ]

Nest week : pleasure boating, Jesus and pirates !