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Bridget
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| Posted: Aug 14 2006 at 5:30am | IP Logged
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We recently let our older kids see 'Pirates of the Caribbean', the first one,on DVD. Now everyone is into all things pirate. Even I think it's fun.
But pirates were bad. They did bad things. Why do we think they are fun? Is it alright to enjoy the adventuring, treasure seeking, drink up me hearties and ignore the bad stuff since it's all legends from the past? Am I way over-thinking this?
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Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
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Mary K
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| Posted: Aug 14 2006 at 5:48am | IP Logged
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Hi,
My family enjoys pirate related things also. I think its fine to enjoy the adventure, treasure, etc. side of it. Use these to plan a unit study, if you wish. Pirates were not legends, however. They were real men and women. You could teach the children to pray for their souls. Piracy still occurs today. It means theft on the water.
God bless,
Mary K
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Christine
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| Posted: Aug 14 2006 at 6:22am | IP Logged
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Some of my ancestors financed corsair (some people describe corsair as pirates hired by the French government). My ancestors were Catholic. The corsair attacked British ships in an attempt to weaken the British government. I believe they were doing this prior to and during the time of the American Revolution, only they were in the Indian Ocean and also around France. The movie, Master and Commander, while still fiction, might be a little closer to reality, but it does seem to side with the English. 
Mary's idea of teaching children to pray for their souls is a good one. Some pirates did terrible things. I can't think of the saint right now, but I remember a story about a saint in South America (maybe) who had to deal with pirates.
After listening to Peter Pan, my oldest son (still very young) requested a pirate birthday party last year. He enjoys wearing pirate pants that he was given by a friend. The annual Seafair events in Seattle include the pirates coming ashore.
I believe a balance is good.
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Christine
Mommy to 4 girls, 5 boys, & 2 in God's care
Memories of a Catholic Wife and Mother
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Marybeth
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| Posted: Aug 14 2006 at 6:27am | IP Logged
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Wonderful idea to pray for a pirate's soul. Aren't there some old movies with Errol Flynn with pirates...I can remember watching some with my brothers when I was little.
I like pirates b/c of Johnny Depp!  
Marybeth
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marihalojen
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Here are some simple "rules of thumb" to improve your chances of spotting pirates.
Boat Size: Most pirates, whether in the northwestern Indian Ocean, off Somalia, or in the region around the Straits of Malacca, are using relatively small boats, essentially the same size as used by the local fishermen. So if a couple of fishing skiffs try to approach you, watch out. And be especially careful if they're moving at a good clip. That's because ordinary fishermen are loath to open up their engines, since fuel is money.
Crew Size: Most fishing boats have at most three crewmen. If there are more than that in a boat, or in nearby several boats, it's likely that someone's up to no good.
Fishing Gear: If you don't spot nets or other equipment associated with fishing, the boat may be looking for bigger game.
Birds: Fishing boats usually are accompanied by little clouds of sea birds; no birds, no fish, and that means pirates.
Fishing Grounds: Even in the relatively undeveloped regions where piracy flourishes, local governments usually maintain websites identifying fisheries, particularly those in their exclusive economic zones. If you spot fishing boats far from any of these, caution would be advised
Weapons: Even if there are only two or three guys in a boat, if they're waving weapons around, it's probably a good idea to avoid them.
Yacht pirates - check the link section for loads more info.
Caribbean Safety and Security Net covers the Caribbean island by island, very interesting to look through as the reports are detailed. (fyi o/b means outboard engine, as in what Marianna had stolen that we are still keeping a weather eye out for.
Piracy is no joke, we plan on electrifying our lifelines before leaving the states. People still sprinkle tacks on the decks every night, that is a great idea, as well. I wouldn't waste time praying for the pirates' souls, pray for their victims.
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~Jennifer
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The Mari Hal-O-Jen
SSR = Sailing, Snorkling, Reading
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marihalojen
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| Posted: Aug 14 2006 at 9:08am | IP Logged
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That sounded a little harsh, we still have fun with the idea of a swashbuckling pirate lass!
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~Jennifer
Mother to Mariannna, age 13
The Mari Hal-O-Jen
SSR = Sailing, Snorkling, Reading
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lapazfarm
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I think people love "piraty things" because they personify adventure and freedom. It is a romanticised version of the truth. Most pirate tales (including POC) gloss over the really nasty bits and highlight the open seas, the treasure, the tropical islands, the colorful language and daredevil behaviors. They really don't go into the murdering, stealing, cruelty, and violence towards women.
But, we could say the same thing about any lifestyle that is "romanticized" in this way. For example, cowboys. That life was dirty, hard, dangerous work and nothing like the old western movies. But what we see is the fun-riding, roping, freedom of the open range, gun-slinging yeehaw!
It's all about the romance. And that can be a good thing and lots of fun if we remember that it is a romance and not reality. Ds adores pirates and they figure quite prominantly in his games lately. But he and I have also talked about real pirates and what piracy really means. We specifically addressed the line from the movie POC "he was a pirate and a good man." Led to a very interesting discussion on what makes a man good. Or not.
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Theresa
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aussieannie
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Our children too, love pirates! We've had children get around with one leg tuck up the behind their thigh and how their clothes have not given way under the strain - I do not know. 
My husband back in the late seventies, worked for a Fatima Apostolate that bought a ship (supporters gave donations to raise the money) and went to Singapore with the intentions of sailing to the South China Seas to rescue Vietnamese boatpeople fleeing Vietnam and being attacked viciously by pirates.
Unfortunately the Australian Immigration Minister put pressure on Lee Kwan Yew (President of Singapore) not to allow them sail (Vietnam was a touchy political issue, as you know) and to harrass them while in port. So it couldn't go ahead as planned. They were also harrassed and man-handled in customs back in Australia. So he would of been prepared to fight pirates if the way hadn't been blocked. The children found THAT exciting too (Daddy was going to fight the pirates!!)
We were reading a pirate book the other day and on the last page they talked about modern day pirates and the Vietnam story was mentioned.
I think children keep these things in 'context' in their own way. They love all things about them, (like we do) but know really, how wicked they often were. It was not a case of, "Oh, daddy, why would you do a thing like that?"
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lapazfarm
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I agree. My ds loves the romanticized idea of a pirate, but knows what real pirates were (and are) as well. In fact, I overheard him telling dd just a few days ago that pirates were "really bad guys."
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Theresa
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Sarah in SC
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| Posted: Aug 14 2006 at 6:15pm | IP Logged
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Marybeth wrote:
I like pirates b/c of Johnny Depp!
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I'm with Marybeth! Capt. Jack Sparrow is a fascinating character, and I can think of no one better than Johnny Depp to play him! He is pretty easy on the eyes, too!
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ladybugs
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We love pirates, too, and would definitely agree that it is the romance of it all...
Usborne sells a book called True Stories of Pirates. See if your library carries it - very interesting stories of several well-known pirates and with the story of Blackbeard particularly in mind, definitely demonstrates their less than desirable behavior. The Library of Pirates series gives some insight into the psychological make-up of the pirates. For example - and if memory serves me correctly, Mary Read spent her childhood dressed as a boy so that her dad(I think) could deceive an older relative and be supported financially. So, if her model failed her it helps us understand why she may have made the choice she made.
Anyway, I probably making this longer than it needs to be.
Sorry, mateys.
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Maria P
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Why do we like pirates?
