Not put a downer on all the fun, but aren't pirates "bad" people? Don't they steal and kill and stuff?

A. Well ... yeah. You got us on that one. Let's get this straight. Real pirates were and are bad people and are in no way worthy of emulating. We, on the other hand, are thinking of movie pirates, the pirates of books, myth and legend. Think Long John Silver in "Treasure Island." Pretend pirates. But Talk Like a Pretend Pirate Like Long John Silver was just too long to catch on. So when we urge you to TALK like a pirate, we don't mean you should ACT like a pirate. The Pirate Guys are solidly against pillaging, plundering and slaughtering like pirates. Q. Wait a sec! Pirates weren't evil people! Their ships were democratically organized and ... yada yada yada ... A. Arrrrrgh. OK, all you pirate partisans just duke it out with the Pirates Were Evil gang. We'll be over here drinkin' our grog. ... more