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The Memoirs of Gerard P. Pas
These are the autobiographical writings of Gerard Pas.
They have been written in non-sequential order.
All texts and images remain the copyright of Gerard Peter Pas ©
Read all of Gerard's written memoirs by clicking here.
Why I appreciate Pirate culture. 2005
In my opinion, pirates were probably the most progressive culture of the 16th and 17th centuries. They displayed an understanding for the handicapped and their rights, which was unprecedented even by today standards.
Thereby, I think that pirates had one of the most progressive cultures of their time and one I would have gladly belonged to – make that fit in with.Think about it for a moment. In what other culture would they elevate a one-legged, one-armed man, a partially blinded person, or a woman to a position of authority? It is not at all a peculiar or an odd image for any of us to imagine the captain of a pirate ship, hobbling out to the deck on his peg leg, or standing there with his hooked-arm. I admire this of the pirates, as they were truly equal opportunity employers.
In own my youth, there were so many jobs I knew I could easily do, but never offered me. People thought I must have been too fragile to undertake them. It always angered me: I was just as desperate as the next, in need of feeding myself and paying the rent. If indeed I couldn’t do the job, they could have let me go; you don’t know how many times I asked people to give me a chance based on this economy. Had there of been a job bank or employment bureau for Pirates, Buccaneers and Privateers, I’d of most certainly of had the job – hey, I might of even been offered a position of authority.
Okay, like my biker dreams, I realize there were plenty of other drawbacks to the job but overall most Privateers did well and gained principle roles in their respective societies. Henry Morgan was knighted, acted as the vice admiral of Jamaica. Morgan was one of the most ruthless of pirates, his daring, brutality, and intelligence made him the most feared, and respected buccaneer of all time. Francis Drake saved England from the invading Spanish Armada and for his brave actions; he received a knighthood and was appointed the Mayor of Plymouth. It was not all men either there was Mary Read and Anne Bonny, naming just two. Okay their final destiny was not as desirable as that of Morgan or Drake but my point is they had positions of authority, which in the 16th and 17th was thinking outside of the box.
Then again, it was the hundreds of “I was also there” that nobody remembers, and whose now consumed bodies, filled the Spanish Main with fish food. With my luck, I would have ended up inside Nemo and first you’d of had to find him in order to find me: if I hadn’t already come out of the end of Nemo that is.
I salute pirates for their contributions to equal opportunity employment and wish some of our contemporaries would take a page from their book.
Gerard Pas, April 27, 2005. London, Canada.
Contact Gerard Pas — Memoirs Library at memoirs@gerardpas.com
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