The Michigan State Senate has clearly been working to pass important legislation — namely instating International Talk Like a Pirate Day.
State Sen. Roger Kahn (R-Saginaw) — wearing an eye patch — announced on Tuesday that Michigan will officially recognize Sept. 19, 2013, as a day to wear eye patches and say things like “Arr Matey.”
“Thank you, matey,” Kahn said on the Senate floor. “Today we have passed speak like a pirate day.”
The legislation was passed in order to give the holiday the “recognition it truly deserves” as well as celebrate Michigan’s heritage.
“As a Great Lakes state, one of Michigan’s main duties must be promoting worthy maritime initiatives,” the resolution reads. “ITLPD would give Michiganders who feel a strong connection to our Great Lakes an opportunity to properly celebrate beloved maritime activities, past and present.”
The passage of this resolution began in 1995 with two men, John Baur and Mark Summers, individually celebrating their “passion for nautical plundering.”
After seven years of talking like pirates on every Sept. 19, the two decided to turn their inside joke into a more widespread celebration. They contacted comedian and author Dave Barry, who wrote a column about the topic in 2002 for The Miami Herald.
“Every now and then, some visionary individuals come along with a concept that is so original and so revolutionary that your immediate reaction is: ‘Those individuals should be on medication,'” Barry wrote.
According to the Talk Like a Pirate website, silliness is the holiday’s best selling point.
“The point is, there is no point,” it reads.
The website also has a how-to guide of pirate lingo and an ‘English-to-Pirate’ translator.
Watch the video below of Pirate Kahn announcing the resolution:
(h/t Raw Story)
