[Riley]

Pirates in general, have been so romaticised that its ridiculous. These were NOT nice people, they were NOT jolly and just kind of rough-around-the-edges; robbing you with a twinkle in their eye and sending you on your way. They were murderous thugs.

I'm not referring as much to the current movie as to the Hollywood manufactured image that they seem to enjoy these days.

[AnAmericanMother]

Pirates in general, have been so romanticised that its ridiculous. These were NOT nice people, they were NOT jolly and just kind of rough-around-the-edges; robbing you with a twinkle in their eye and sending you on your way. They were murderous thugs.

Guess we can blame Howard Pyle for starting the whole thing. Although HIS pirates look pretty villainous . . .

[El Gato]

Pirates in general, have been so romaticised that its ridiculous. These were NOT nice people, they were NOT jolly and just kind of rough-around-the-edges; robbing you with a twinkle in their eye and sending you on your way. They were murderous thugs.

In general that is true. But one country's pirates were sometimes another counries Privateers. Then there was Jean Laffite, who fought alongside Andy "Old Hickory" Jackson at New Orleans. He is known as a pirate, but was probably more Privateer than pirate. He did later burn Galveston, but it belonged to the Spanish at the time.