Comments on: French Navy storms sailboat held by Somali Pirates, one hostage killed http://gcaptain.com/french-navy-storms-sailboat-held/?7846 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:08:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: G. S. Lima http://gcaptain.com/french-navy-storms-sailboat-held/?7846#comment-19789 G. S. Lima Thu, 16 Apr 2009 03:33:25 +0000 http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/?p=7846#comment-19789 D. E. Reddick, you have no need to defend your position, you are well in the right. To compare two "adults' with the explorers of old is not a very good position considering that THEY were truly going into unknown territory without any hope of rescue if something went wrong. I am sick and tired of people putting themselves and others in harm's way just to satisfy their own selfish dreams. There was a three year old child in this equation, plus the French servicemen who were put in peril trying to rescue these people. ( They have names and families too you know! ) Whether it's putting a seven-year old child at the controls of a plane or dancing a baby in front of a saltwater crocodile, there never seems an end to the number of people who seem hopelessly addicted to playing the odds with their childrens' lives. Stupid, stupid, stupid!! Spare us the romantic drivel, they put their dream before their duty and they have paid a terrible price as a direct result. Would it be too much to hope that others would finally learn from this terrible business? D. E. Reddick, you have no need to defend your position, you are well in the right. To compare two "adults' with the explorers of old is not a very good position considering that THEY were truly going into unknown territory without any hope of rescue if something went wrong. I am sick and tired of people putting themselves and others in harm's way just to satisfy their own selfish dreams. There was a three year old child in this equation, plus the French servicemen who were put in peril trying to rescue these people. ( They have names and families too you know! ) Whether it's putting a seven-year old child at the controls of a plane or dancing a baby in front of a saltwater crocodile, there never seems an end to the number of people who seem hopelessly addicted to playing the odds with their childrens' lives. Stupid, stupid, stupid!! Spare us the romantic drivel, they put their dream before their duty and they have paid a terrible price as a direct result. Would it be too much to hope that others would finally learn from this terrible business?

]]> By: D. E. Reddick http://gcaptain.com/french-navy-storms-sailboat-held/?7846#comment-19652 D. E. Reddick Sat, 11 Apr 2009 23:57:18 +0000 http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/?p=7846#comment-19652 JDS, You missed an important point in my criticism of their actions - a point which is known to the whole world. They brought along their three year old son into waters where they had been advised to not go... Their actions made their son a hostage to those barbarian pirates out of Somalia. Don't you get it? They acted stupidly in pursuing whatever it was that their dream may have been. Now, that dream is shattered beyond any grasp of ruination that they may have had prior to their so-called adventure. In regards to their son their actions were the most terrible height of unethical stupidity. They exposed that child to horrible conditions just because they had some sort of dream. Florent Lemacon has now paid the price for that stupidity in pursuit of whatever it was that dream may have been. That dream is now dead and that child is now without his father. I am purposely being critical in the hopes that others will think more carefully about their actions. Do you not comprehend this? Do you not think that this might be beneficial to others? Free will is wonderful. But for the three year old son of those exercising their own "Free Will" it can become a terrible lesson in the bitterness, harshness, and brutality of life whenever humans are involved. No, I do not lack compassion. I simply have little to no compassion for those who act so recklessly, and so pursue a course of action that ends up in wrecking the young life of their son (who now lacks a father). Think it through. Really, consider their most selfish actions. Give it careful thought. Very sincerely, D. E. Reddick JDS,

You missed an important point in my criticism of their actions – a point which is known to the whole world. They brought along their three year old son into waters where they had been advised to not go… Their actions made their son a hostage to those barbarian pirates out of Somalia. Don't you get it? They acted stupidly in pursuing whatever it was that their dream may have been. Now, that dream is shattered beyond any grasp of ruination that they may have had prior to their so-called adventure.

In regards to their son their actions were the most terrible height of unethical stupidity. They exposed that child to horrible conditions just because they had some sort of dream. Florent Lemacon has now paid the price for that stupidity in pursuit of whatever it was that dream may have been. That dream is now dead and that child is now without his father.

I am purposely being critical in the hopes that others will think more carefully about their actions. Do you not comprehend this? Do you not think that this might be beneficial to others? Free will is wonderful. But for the three year old son of those exercising their own "Free Will" it can become a terrible lesson in the bitterness, harshness, and brutality of life whenever humans are involved.

No, I do not lack compassion. I simply have little to no compassion for those who act so recklessly, and so pursue a course of action that ends up in wrecking the young life of their son (who now lacks a father).

Think it through. Really, consider their most selfish actions. Give it careful thought.

Very sincerely,

D. E. Reddick

]]> By: JDS http://gcaptain.com/french-navy-storms-sailboat-held/?7846#comment-19626 JDS Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:08:52 +0000 http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/?p=7846#comment-19626 Writing on their internet blog two weeks before the hijacking, Chloe and Florent Lemacon said that they had started sailing with the lights off to avoid detection. 'We are in the middle of the piracy zone, but so far there is nothing to report. 'The danger is there and has indeed become greater over the past months, but the ocean is vast. The pirates must not be allowed to destroy our dream,' they wrote Writing on their internet blog two weeks before the hijacking, Chloe and Florent Lemacon said that they had started sailing with the lights off to avoid detection. 'We are in the middle of the piracy zone, but so far there is nothing to report.

'The danger is there and has indeed become greater over the past months, but the ocean is vast. The pirates must not be allowed to destroy our dream,' they wrote

]]> By: JDS http://gcaptain.com/french-navy-storms-sailboat-held/?7846#comment-19624 JDS Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:05:54 +0000 http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/?p=7846#comment-19624 If they decide to ignore warnings, that is their choice and their choice alone. Imagine to be so full of life to not be bound by fear and oppression that you go could go blindly into the unknown on a great adventure like real men use to so many years ago. But to speak ill of the dead when they can't defend themselves, is cowardly and inhuman. At least that is this readers opinion If they decide to ignore warnings, that is their choice and their choice alone. Imagine to be so full of life to not be bound by fear and oppression that you go could go blindly into the unknown on a great adventure like real men use to so many years ago.
But to speak ill of the dead when they can't defend themselves, is cowardly and inhuman.
At least that is this readers opinion

]]> By: JDS http://gcaptain.com/french-navy-storms-sailboat-held/?7846#comment-19625 JDS Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:05:32 +0000 http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/?p=7846#comment-19625 Calling this couple idiots is immoral and D.E. Reddick shows no compassion and a lack of respect for the dead. Would you also call any adventurer through out history an idiot. ThePilgrims who Left Europe for a better life. The many Americans who travelled by horse and wagon to get out west to a better life. Others include,Columbus, Sir John Alcock, Captain Road Amundsen,Vasco Nunez de Balboa,Jacques Cartier,Neil Armstrong,Lewis and Clarke,John Cabot, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, James Cook , Francis Drake, Martin Frobisher, John Franklin, Henry Hudson, Jacques Cartier, Samuel de Champlain, Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Hernando Cortes, Vasco da Gama, Gaspar Corte Real, Henry the Navigator, The Vikings. All put their lives at great risk, more so than the Lemacons. My point is the Lemacons are free people living their life the way they want and they choose. Calling this couple idiots is immoral and D.E. Reddick shows no compassion and a lack of respect for the dead. Would you also call any adventurer through out history an idiot. ThePilgrims who Left Europe for a better life. The many Americans who travelled by horse and wagon to get out west to a better life. Others include,Columbus, Sir John Alcock, Captain Road Amundsen,Vasco Nunez de Balboa,Jacques Cartier,Neil Armstrong,Lewis and Clarke,John Cabot, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, James Cook , Francis Drake, Martin Frobisher, John Franklin, Henry Hudson, Jacques Cartier, Samuel de Champlain, Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Hernando Cortes, Vasco da Gama, Gaspar Corte Real, Henry the Navigator, The Vikings. All put their lives at great risk, more so than the Lemacons.
My point is the Lemacons are free people living their life the way they want and they choose.

]]> By: D. E. Reddick http://gcaptain.com/french-navy-storms-sailboat-held/?7846#comment-19607 D. E. Reddick Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:45:49 +0000 http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/?p=7846#comment-19607 Florent and Chloe Lemacon appear to have been a pair of idiots. That Florent Lemacon is now dead and their three year old son has lost his father is a tragedy. But, given the Florents' insistence upon sailing through Somali waters then it was practically and almost certainly a predictable tragedy that someone would lose his or her life. Personally, I think President Sarkozy and the French Navy have taken the correct course of action in this instance. 1. Rescue hostages to the best of your abilities. 2. Kill and/or capture pirates to the best of your abilities. Next, the French need to adopt old RN Admiralty rules regarding pirates - tall yardarms and properly prepared nooses. D.E. Reddick Florent and Chloe Lemacon appear to have been a pair of idiots. That Florent Lemacon is now dead and their three year old son has lost his father is a tragedy. But, given the Florents' insistence upon sailing through Somali waters then it was practically and almost certainly a predictable tragedy that someone would lose his or her life.

Personally, I think President Sarkozy and the French Navy have taken the correct course of action in this instance.

1. Rescue hostages to the best of your abilities.

2. Kill and/or capture pirates to the best of your abilities.

Next, the French need to adopt old RN Admiralty rules regarding pirates – tall yardarms and properly prepared nooses.

D.E. Reddick

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