David Collins should be commended for his investigative reporting skills and especially about the unbelievable stories he brought to our attention concerning the Amistad, including "Amistad's star should burn brightly again" on June 9. Not only did Connecticut pay to build the ship but also our friends in Hartford have continued to throw hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to keep it afloat. This case puts new meaning on the old expression, "a boat is a hole in the water in which one throws money!"

In 1798 Congress authorized the building of three frigates (Americas first Navy Ships) to repel the hijacking of American merchant ships by pirates from the Barbary Coast states of Morocco, Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli. How about sending the U.S. Coast Guard Eagle to Maine to escort Amistad home? The hijacked ship Amistad built by the fine craftsman at Mystic Seaport needs to be returned.