Slain yachters called 'brave adventurers'

CNN.com ^ | February 22, 2011 | Mike Pearson

[ColdOne]

(CNN) -- Phyllis Macay wrote of her travels around the world with the breathlessly joyous and staccato style of a teenager.

"I can say that I want to spend a week here ... month here ... maybe a year," she once wrote of visiting Corsica. "It is exciting, vastly busy ... and beautiful at the same time."

That sort of infectious love of adventure, of sailing, of seeing the world was a defining characteristic not only of Macay, but also her companion Bob Riggle and friends Jean and Scott Adam, friends and family say.

All four died early Tuesday off the coast of Somalia at the hands of pirates who had hijacked the Adams' yacht, the Quest.

[bmwcyle]

Jesus was there to greet them in heaven.

[cynwoody]

Ever wonder what the Russian version of the PHALANX CIWS would do to a skiff crowded with Somali pirates?

Paying Money to Murder: Russian Luxury Yachts Offer Pirate Hunting Cruises

In a brilliant–if deeply disturbing–stroke of entrepreneurial genius, Russian luxury yachts have begun to advertise adventure cruises where passengers pony up almost $6,000 USD per day to cruise from Djibouti to Mombasa in search of pirates.

LOL!

[Rome2000]

So I guess what I am getting from this is that Somali “pirates” can kill American citizens with impunity as long as a muslim is in the WH and Boehner is SOTH.

[ExpatCanuck]

As for you secret service scum protecting this piece of commie garbage, the law of Karma is eternal.

I think you might be an imbecile if you believe that they should be punished by karma for protecting someone it is their job to protect, even if you disagree with said person politically. Probably a dangerous imbecile. Not sure if there are any tests you could take to prove it one way or another. If my former Secret Service agent neighbor is any indication, I can tell you they are consumate professionals who would never let their personal politics get in the way of their jobs. Nor should they be condemned by the likes of you for doing their job.

[FightThePower!]

I would never be sailing on the open ocean without a .50 cal gun mounted to my boat an my collision radar set for 16 miles. Anyone getting too close would get a shot across the bow.

[altura]

As I understand it, they were 300 miles out, usually considered safe territory, but the pirates are moving further out.

It’s incredibly tacky to criticize these people because you think they are rich and self indulgent.

they were a retired couple and friends who had the means to travel. Why blame them for what insane pirates did?

It sounds like jealousy to me.

[Dick Bachert]

BLACKBEARD THE PIRATE AFTER HIS CAPTURE LONG AGO BEFORE THE WUSSIFICATION OF AMERICA

(WELL, PART OF HIM ANYWAY.GUESS THEY WERE OUT OF PIKES!)

I THOUGHT the rules of the high seas called for the IMMEDIATE execution of pirates? Anyone else think that Obozo tied our guys' hands because these MURDERERS are poor, black, desperate MUSLIMS from Somalia (which, BTW, is Kenya's neighbor) and, instead of pitching these azzholes overboard to feed the sharks, they'll be brought back here, go through an expensive taxpayer subsidized TRIAL then on to prison for 20 or 30 year where they'll live and eat better than they ever have, gain weight, get free medical care, etc., etc. to the tune of 40 grand each per year!

America has LOST ITS MIND!!!

[Rome2000]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_July_plot

Yeah, good thing these guys were foiled!

[PA Engineer]

Yes I keep reading these threads and many posts ignore that they were off of Oman not Somalia.

Yep. My first gut reaction is to yell get a map. Either they are horribly ignorant or have another agenda. The fact that there is at least a couple thousand clicks between Oman and Somalia doesn't seem to phase the "enlightened" ones amongst us.

[GAB-1955]

No. Pirates, even then, were to be brought to land courts to be tried and hanged if convicted. Hanging at sea was an option if you couldn’t get them back to a naval base.

[Rome2000]

I would never be sailing on the open ocean without a .50 cal gun mounted to my boat an my collision radar set for 16 miles. Anyone getting too close would get a shot across the bow.

Florida Turnpike too.

[TopQuark]

They have also distributed Bibles around the world. The media does not called them missionaries, but there was, apparently, an element of that in their "travels."

Being Jewish, I have no missionary zeal. But after I've learned about this aspect of their travels, my respect to them has increased greatly. Least of all I am tempted to make light of their deaths or think that they were simply careless: they had a job to do.

They have my respect and should have yours. May they RIP.

[riri]

Seems useful idiots are getting a crash course in “guess what? The world really is a savage place”. Will it resonate? My money says no, they will still excuse the savages and twist their brains into pretzels finding ways to blame the USA.

[TigersEye]

I can’t believe that all of the pirates weren’t immediately shot as soon as it became known that rescue of the hostages was no longer a possibility. I also wonder if all of the announcements of what the Navy would and wouldn’t do wasn’t picked up by the pirates. It seems to me that in the past the only thing our gov would officially say about a situation like this is “we are doing all we can and we can make no further comment at this time.”

[ladyjane]

Has Obama issued any statement yet about our citizens being killed by pirates?

Or is he busy meddling in local politics?

[Atlas Sneezed]

I honestly believe (hopefully) that their final moments were in humble and prayerful gratitude that they were martyrs for the Christan faith, and this was the most meaningful aspect of their lives. Not for their personal glory, but for the glory of God.

So many have gone before them, “needlessly” giving their lives for the glory of God.

Sainthood is not reserved for the poor. You’d rather they cruised off Saint Barts or Monaco, instead of spreading the Word to the poor in hostile territory?

[sport]

Sounds like you are jealouse of them.

[silverleaf]

Thye were nowhere close to Somalia nor did they plan to sail off Somalia. Here is their web site and ship’s log.

http://svquest.com/2011_travels.htm

They were out of India and bound for Oman, as you can see from their log, their intended track was far from Somali waters. They were traveling in international waters as every sailor should have the right to do. For most of their voyage they had been in company with 100 other yachts in the Blue Water Rally.

Being PC about black muslim murderers has led to the US tolerating murder on the high seas further and further from the coast of Africa. And some folks here are blaming the victims for sailing in the nwestern Indian Ocean and being an inconvenience to the US Navy?

[Publius6961]

Slain yachters called 'brave adventurers'

Not by me.
I call them brain-dead self defined loser victims.

Sailing anywhere near the coast of Somalia is right up there with a "hiking vacation" near the Iran border.

[Atlas Sneezed]

I wouldn’t drive at night on the bad sides of Dallas, Texas USA... I would be risking my life as in any big metropolitan area ...

---

You might not know, but there are multitudes of volunteer and religious workers who venture into these dangerous areas every day, around our nation and around the world, and part of their calling.

Mother Teresa might have risked being raped or murdered, but she didn’t let that stop her.

Please say a prayer for the souls for these courageous martyrs. If they were looking for their own earthly pleasure, they wouldn’t have been handing out bible near Somalia.