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Pirate Day proclamation irks ex-official

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LAKE WORTH, Fla., Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A former official in a Florida city blasted the mayor's recognition of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, noting pirates have killed civilians.

Lake Worth Mayor Pam Triolo read a proclamation at the start of Tuesday night's city commission meeting encouraging residents to celebrate Wednesday's holiday, founded in 1995 by Oregon friends John Baur and Mark Summers, in "a hearty, fun-loving way," the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post reported Thursday.

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"The City of Lake Worth is known to possess a spirit of independence, high spirits and swashbuckling, all traits of a good pirate," the proclamation states. "It's fun to talk like a pirate by using words like Arrrrr, ye and bilge rat."

The proclamation was intended as a lighthearted recognition of the holiday as well as City Manager Michael Bornstein's well-known love of pirate lore.

However, former City Commissioner Jo-Ann Golden was not amused by the proclamation, calling it "an insult to the people of the city of Lake Worth" in an e-mail sent to Bornstein.

"In these times when there is so much turmoil, ignorance and killing, this effort to further dumb down our government should be rejected," Golden wrote.

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The former official said modern pirates have been known to murder, steal and hold victims for ransom.

"I'm so sorry you find this fun, silly proclamation anything more than that," Bornstein wrote in response to Golden. "I could easily become consumed with a sense of over correctness in almost everything involved in government. However, I refuse to become devoid of all the wonderful human emotions including, most importantly, humor."

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