A couple of pirate cases being tried in Virginia (home port of the allegedly attacked ships) caught my attention when one of the groups of pirates claimed they were only ferrying refugees.
From the Virginian Pilot:
A federal grand jury issued new indictments this week against two sets of Somali nationals, adding more criminal charges bolstering the government’s piracy case against the 11 men.
[…..]
Those charged in the Ashland attack claim they were ferrying refugees from Somalia to Yemen when they became lost at sea. They fired at the ship, they say, out of a desperate attempt to get attention.
Do you know that if that last group (the supposed refugee-ferrying Somalis) get off they will likely be allowed to stay in the US. We don’t deport Somalis back to Somalia.
Wanda Sykes!
This article also drew my attention because of the comment someone left that sent me looking for the source. Sure enough, here it is! BLACK comedian Wanda Sykes (friend of Obama) said the following in October 2009 about Somali pirates:
And, of all the bad luck, how did he (Obama) catch a term where he’d have to fight pirates? Pirates!
After trying to figure out how a bunch of bums in small boats manage to hijack giant oil tankers she asks, “Where the f- – – do pirates even come from?” And why don’t they look like pirates are supposed to look, “and not like car jackers?”
Her solution to the captured pirate they recently brought back for trial? “Chop his leg off, stick a broom handle up there, stick a hook on his arm, a patch on his eye, a parrot on his shoulder and kick his ass back to Somalia!”
Imagine for a moment that a prominent white comedian had said such a thing! He or she would be out of work.