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Fuente: Cape Cod Times
By Aaron Gouveia
agouveia@capecodonline.com
BUZZARDS BAY – While pirates have been romanticized on the big screen, real-life piracy on the high seas has forced some local students to learn how to defend themselves.
The Massachusetts Maritime Academy has decided to teach some students how to use a gun in case of a pirate attack. Since many graduates get jobs as crew members on ships that travel the world, school officials say their students must be ready for any and all emergencies that could arise.
To that end, a half dozen seniors towed the firing line at the college’s range yesterday, learning how to shoot 9 mm pistols loaned to them by the Bourne Police Department.
Piracy has a long history, notedJoseph Murphy II, who teaches the Maritime Security Management class at the college. And lately, attacks have been on the rise as the global economy tanks and countries such as Somalia are mired in lawlessness and political instability.
“In the past, it was just smash and grab, but the incidents have become much more provocative,” Murphy said. “Now it’s not just the cargo, but the whole ship, and then they hold the cargo and the crew for ransom.”
Therein lies the difference between piracy and terrorism, Murphy said. Terrorism is political while piracy is strictly for financial gain.
By Aaron Gouveia
agouveia@capecodonline.com
BUZZARDS BAY – While pirates have been romanticized on the big screen, real-life piracy on the high seas has forced some local students to learn how to defend themselves.
The Massachusetts Maritime Academy has decided to teach some students how to use a gun in case of a pirate attack. Since many graduates get jobs as crew members on ships that travel the world, school officials say their students must be ready for any and all emergencies that could arise.
To that end, a half dozen seniors towed the firing line at the college’s range yesterday, learning how to shoot 9 mm pistols loaned to them by the Bourne Police Department.
Piracy has a long history, notedJoseph Murphy II, who teaches the Maritime Security Management class at the college. And lately, attacks have been on the rise as the global economy tanks and countries such as Somalia are mired in lawlessness and political instability.
“In the past, it was just smash and grab, but the incidents have become much more provocative,” Murphy said. “Now it’s not just the cargo, but the whole ship, and then they hold the cargo and the crew for ransom.”
Therein lies the difference between piracy and terrorism, Murphy said. Terrorism is political while piracy is strictly for financial gain.
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