On February 16th 1804 Lieutenant Stephen Decatur, Jr., leading a small group of US Marines, boarded a captured Tripolitan ship and drove it toward the USS Philadelphia a captured frigate standing ashore of Tripoli where American sailors where being held hostage. The marines stormed guards and with help from American ships Decatur set the Philadelphia ablaze to deny Tripolitan sailors the use of the vessel. The marines then captured the city taking the fight directly to “the shores of Tripoli.”
For many years the fledgling United States paid enormous ransom to pirates; one of the very first actions taken by the third president of the United States Thomas Jefferson was to end ransom payments and stand boldly against the Muslim tyrants who threatened our nation’s interests abroad. The First Barbary War set a precedent for future President’s in dealing with those who would practice extortion against our government; it lead to a peace treaty and though the United States, light on resources during the War of 1812 did give in to these tyrants again for a short time, our nation once again stood against pirates in the Second Barbary Wars, a course of action that has kept American vessels free from attack since.
Yesterday Somali pirates attempted to take an American vessel and now holds one of our own, the vessels pilot Richard Phillips, hostage. In a brave act Phillips gave his freedom for his crew; an action that speaks volumes about the legacy and prosperity of our American resolve.
The lesson of Thomas Jefferson must live on. Our nation and our corporations must NOT pay ransom or give into the demands of those who use hostility and brutality to extort concessions. Our vessels must be safe and free from circumvention. Such attacks have been appeased by other governments and corporations around the world, we must not follow their lead. As we did in the early 1800’s we must do now, we must not see this as a singular action but as a declaration of War.
The course of action is clear. We must rescue our man, either through intervention or subterfuge. Our negotiation cannot have any outcome other than his safe release, ideally with these vandals captured and imprisoned. If we must hand over millions as a show payment, then that is what we should do. Once that money has been exchanged we must track these men back to their mothership(s) and set them ablaze or sink them.
Regardless of the outcome of this incident we must locate the centers for larger pirate operations and destroy them now. Our response must be disproportionate to the current circumstance but equal to the viciousness they have visited upon other nations. If we do not declare zero tolerance and War then we will simply face further and worsening attack.
Now is not the time to talk about economic inequality or the plight of these barbarians. God gives us all equal liberty and free will, the decisions of man entrap us. Those in Somalia and other nations must learn self-governance and build their own destinies. We cannot accept criminal acts or threats to our own liberty and soverienty no matter their own suffering. These are not individuals to be lumped into stereotypes, used as marketing slogans for socialism and internationalism, they are thieves corrupted by the notion that they must take from others what they are unwilling or too inept to build for themselves.
While I do not support Obama the man, I support the office of the President and the powers given as Commander-in-Chief. If he acts, he will have my support and I am sure the support of all sensible Americans who believe in the Constitution and ask that he uphold the oath of his office. If he gives into appeasement, if he betrays the oath of his office, he will have my fury and sow the seeds of further discontent with those Americans who value freedom, sovereignty and the rule of law.
