The Saudi-owned oil tanker hijacked by Somali pirates.
William S. Stevens/U.S. Navy via Getty ImagesThe more frequently I hear reports about pirates commandeering oil tankers and taking hostages, the more agitated I become. It's all about semantics*. When I think of pirates, I think of Johnny Depp, I think of Captain Hook and Smee, and I think of that little lego guy. What I do not think of, however, is scary thugs taking down ships and gathering hostages off the coast of Africa. Of course, actual pirates were and continue to be terrifying criminals (as opposed to swashbuckling rogues), but to me, anyway, the Disney-fication of their vocation has changed things. Many of us at TOTN are having a little trouble calling them pirates, and today we brainstormed some new ways to talk about the high-seas hijackers. Or nautical terrorists. Or maritime marauders. What do you think? Am I being ridiculously nit-picky, or is there something a little strange about calling these criminals "pirates"?
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