[Mishmash] So Quiet

[David Brown]

Fred,

 

I have been watching the developments.  I was most relieved this morning
when I heard on the Beeb that Captain Phillips had been rescued.

 

I am very anti aggression  and piracy on the high seas ranks high amongst my
bêtes noir.   I have not commented because what I heard was very sketchy.  I
am hoping to be more informed in the next day.

 

Cheers

 

David

 

From: mishmash-bounces at mishmash.net [mailto:mishmash-bounces at mishmash.net]
On Behalf Of Fred Atkinson
Sent: Monday, 13 April 2009 11:58 AM
To: Mishmash
Subject: [Mishmash] So Quiet

 

Folks, 

 

    A major event like the rescue of Captain Phillips occurs and no one on
Mishmash has any chatter to give about it?  

 

    My comment is that those pirate should've known better than to mess with
America.  They got exactly what they invited on themselves.  

 

    At one time, piracy on the high seas carried the death penalty.  But Fox
News is saying he may only be looking at a life sentence.  I am all for
extraditing him to the U.S. to face trial.  They were on international
waters when they committed an act of piracy on a vessel sailing under the
U.S. flag.  That puts him under the jurisdiction of our law.  In my book,
letting him face trial in Kenya (or the world court or any other nation) is
not an option.  He has to face our system of justice.  This is clearly a
U.S. matter of justice.  

 

    It's past the time that the world community needs to deal with this
problem.  We need to stop this ransom payment for acts of piracy.  If they
knew they would get nothing for their efforts, fewer incidents of piracy
would occur.  

 

    When I was sent to South America by my church to do work for the Foreign
Mission Board, there was something that they didn't tell me about my
presence down there.  That was: If a missionary is kidnapped and held for
ransom, the Foreign Mission Board just writes you off as a loss.  They will
not pay a ransom for your return.  That is for your own protection.  

 

    If they paid ransoms on missionaries, missionaries would be kidnapped
all the time.  It would become a money making business and missionaries
would not be safe.  To that end, we never saw an issue of kidnapping
associated with that ministry.  

 

    Perhaps the shipping industry should take that under consideration.  

 

    I'm looking forward to seeing Captain Phillips tell of his ordeal.  The
story of his actions should be a inspiration to our young people!  It is to
me.  

 

    Why is it that it takes an incident like this before the media will
bring out the best in Americans and people like us in other nations (yes
folks, I do include our friends in Australia.  I know what kind of fine
people there are Down Under.  They've stood together with us countless
numbers of times)?  

 

    God Bless our Nation and all of our Allies who share the dream of a
world without fear.  This is a great time for nations to arise to the cause
and come together to stop this world problem.  

 

    This is what the dream of freedom is all about.  

 

    Regards, 

 

 

 

        

                                                                Fred 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mishmash.net/pipermail/mishmash_mishmash.net/attachments/20090413/03cc6e4d/attachment.html>