Monday, April 13, 2009

Now What? Or, Is There An Answer to the Pirate Problem

Nope, not the Johnny Depp type.
Yesterday, Richard Philips, captain of the Maersk Alabama, was rescued from Somalian pirates by US Navy Seals. After five days of negotiations and an escape attempt by Captain Philips, President Obama authorized deadly force if Philip's life was believed in danger. The Seal sharpshooters saw that he'd been bound with an AK-47 aimed at his back. The order was given, and they dispached three of the four pirates. The fourth was taken into custody by the Navy.
Desparation has contaminated the Gulf of Aiden, rendering it unsafe for travel. Somailia has plummeted into an anarchist mess, no government, no justice system, no way to care for their own amid the grinding poverty. Driven by desparation, pirates have acheived the status held by rock stars in the rest of the world. Did the pirates know or care that the Alabama was bringing humanitarian aid to Mogadishu? We'll never know.
The desparate circumstances did not grant the privilige of their actions and opens the question of what justice is in these affairs. There is no just cause to march in and impose a US-style democracy, just as there never was in Iraq. Maybe someday, enough brave souls will be able to reform a government and make Somalia into a country again. Until then, perhaps the question becomes one of security and sanctions.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Practicing Acceptance

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change; courage to change the things that I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.
I'm not going slaughter the name of the good and wise theologian who crafted that prayer. I am not the best speller in the world. Clicking on SpellCheck ever few words is just a way of life for me, another quirk I've quit struggling to overcome.
I still wrestle with parts of myself: my weight, despite my best efforts, will not relinquish its grip on a number save to climb back towards unhealthy heights. Very well, then. Guide me in making the best choices that I can so I look and feel fantastic. Success and fame have eluded me despite my best efforts at marketing my writing. So be it. I have the respect of other writers and actually wrote the novel. My skills have helped with publicity and fundraising for several NFP's. Several issues with relatives will likely never be resolved, hanging like threads off a sweater. Bless them in their cluelessness, clip, and go on in peace.