[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11734]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                THE HIGH SEAS NEEDS THE SECOND AMENDMENT

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, recently three boats of the Somali 
pirates gave chase on the high seas toward a lone ship of prey, ready 
once again to capture an unarmed vessel and the crew, and hold them 
hostage until the ransom is paid.
  As the smiling armed outlaws sped toward the game and readied the 
attack, the target appeared to flee as it headed away into the horizon 
of the sun.
  But to the dismay of the bold bandits, they were trapped. The 
supposed merchant ship dispatched two boats that headed directly for 
the malcontents of robbery. Aboard were French commandos. The alleged 
merchant ship was a ship of the French Navy. Shots were fired over the 
criminals, and in minutes the 11 pirates of misfortune were captured 
and stowed away in the darkness of the French brig.
  Madam Speaker, it defies reason that merchant ships are not armed. 
The international maritime community should arm their ships against the 
pirates of prey. The French and American Navies cannot save them every 
day. Let the philosophy of the Second Amendment, ``right to bear 
arms'', apply on the high seas.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________