Letter: Objects to St. Augustine Pirate Gathering

Saint Augustine Pirate Gathering

I’m hoping this is a mistake.

Surely our beloved Spanish Quarter, a tax-supported *museum*, has not been reduced to participating in the dissemination of this sort of historically inaccurate, cutesy “Hollywood/Disney” rubbish?

Surely our CoSA Department of Heritage Tourism, whose mission includes “the preservation of the historic resources entrusted to the City of St. Augustine, the maintenance and expansion of the interpretation program centered on those resources” is not going to waste our tax dollars on this sort of fantasy venue, which has as much to do with St. Augustine’s proud history as any grade-school Halloween carnival?

Surely a city founded by the greatest pirate-hunter of his day, Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, a city that repeatedly suffered from the attacks of these vicious, raping thieves and murderers, a city that regularly executed pirates in the town Plaza, should have nothing to do with wanting to “celebrate” the misdeeds of such criminals, the terrorists of their day?

Surely desperately trying to slap a historical gloss on this sort of bargain-basement Gasparilla will simply offend those of us who do know and love local history and insult the local historical re-enactors and living historians who have voluntarily labored for so long to aid the CoSA/the Spanish Quarter, and accurately portray St. Augustine’s past?

If the possibility of our beloved Spanish Quarter being reduced to such a sad and sorry state angers and sickens you, let the City know.

John Solano
St. Augustine, FL