In Norfolk, Va., a Somali man accused of a pirate attack on a US warship was just found guilty of charges related to the April attack. He faces 30 years in prison. Five others were also charged in the case, which raised the question of how to define piracy.
Just down the road, in Virginia Beach, some other pirates are making plans to invade corporate events, school fundraisers or another Renaissance Faire.
The Virginia Beach group call themselves the Overland Crew and sometimes disguise themselves as a chiropractor, professor, event planner or restaurant manager. That's to blend in to society while they plot and scheme.
Talk Like A Pirate Day should be a day the Overland Crew throws off the civilian guise and shows Virginia who they really are. As The Virginian-Pilot wrote recently, in Need Some Pirates? This Crew Is For Hire:
“Who doesn’t like a pirate?” Parker Hedrick asked. “Pirates are not some dead thing in a book. We capture the whole feeling of living in a different time and day.”
The Overland Crew is available for parties, events and fundraisers – and like most good pirates, they are willing to go anywhere.
One place you should not expect to find them: the courthouse in Norfolk.
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