Live Free or Eat Free: How Important are Your First Amendment Rights?

pressable March 12, 2013

How often do you mull over your first amendment rights? Are you grateful for them? We humans tend to forget the privileges that we have and are given. Think about it. You’re allowed to sit where you want, eat what you want, say whatever you want. These are freedoms that not everyone has. We, as free citizens must be proud of what we have been given and it’s vital that we sometimes be reminded of what we have.

Florida Tech’s Crimson put together the biggest event that they have had in years. “Live Free or Eat Free- You Can’t Do Both,” it was called. The flyer explained that students, faculty, and staff were allowed free food in exchange for their First Amendment rights.

My friend Anushka, a graduate of the Communication degree, and I were up for it. What we didn’t know was that we were about to walk into a full fledged battle. And we would be the rebels.

Wednesday, February 27 2013

9:00- We were taken into a room. Three men were sitting in front of us. A lawyer. Two journalists. The rights of lawyers, journalists, and citizens alike were discussed and explained. They drank a lot of water. I was reminded of my First Amendment rights. I took pictures. I was escorted out.

11:30– I was taken to the Crawford Building green. I have been issued a passport. I am now a citizen of The Kingdom of the Socialist States of the People’s Republic of Florida Tech. They call it TKOTSSOTPROFT for short.

11:31– They have lead me to a line. I’m getting food. There are so many different options. Free food.

11:34– They only gave me two bags of chips.

11:40 -I tried asking for more food. They said no. Oliver Twist I feel you man…

11:43- I found someone with two sandwiches. We traded. Now we each have a sandwich and chips.

11:51– They moved my chair. I can only sit in that seat.

11:52– I have picked up my chair and have moved to another table. I want to sit with my friend Anushka. They told me which chair to sit in, not where to sit.

11:55– They gave me no soda. I’m going to start a rebellion.

11:59 – They took me to jail.

12:44– I escaped.

12:46– I’m hiding under a table. People are being taken to jail. Anushka is one of them.

12:48– Drew (second in charge) asked me why I’m under the table. I said Dr. Peterson ordered me. She believed me.

12:49– Dr. Peterson (first in charge) asked me why I’m under the table. I said Drew ordered me. He believed me.

12:51– I got soda. I told the workers that Peterson allowed me. I’m trying to corrupt one of the workers.

12:53– People are in jail. I’m going to take them chairs.

12:55– I’m in jail.

12:56– I’ve gotten everyone in jail to rebel with me.

12:57– The corrupted worker let me go. We have an insider.

12:59– I have forged a document saying that Drew wants to overthrow Peterson in order to be first in charge.

1:00– Peterson didn’t believe the document.

1:03– I’m going to try to become an insider. I’m sending in an application.

1:04– They are considering it.

1:05– I’ve been denied.

1:08– I’ve gotten a group of people to rally for me. We’re yelling “we want pizza.”

1:09– They got sent to jail. I escaped. Oops.

1:11– I freed my people. No one is in jail.

1:13– Anushka and I informed Peterson that everyone has escaped jail.

1:15– He’s angry.

1:16– The Confederates (that’s what we’re calling ourselves) have forged a document stating that Peterson is going to step down and let everyone live free.

1:18– Anushka and I stole his blow-horn.

1:20– Anushka is reading the document out loud with the blow-horn. Peterson has stepped down.

1:21– Peterson denied stepping down.

1:24– Anushka and I are trying to escape.

1:25– Border patrol is looking away.

1:27– WE HAVE ESCAPED! WE HAVE BEEN SPARED!