From reporter Mike Archbold:

I’m heading for the "Republic of Parkland" this afternoon to get a taste of what it would be like not to have our First Amendment freedoms.

A portion of the Pacific Lutheran University campus called Red Square will be roped off from the 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. during the second annual Free Food Festival.

Anyone who wants a free lunch of pizza can get a passport to the Republic of Parkland and eat their fill.

The catch is to get the passport, visitors must sign away their First Amendment rights – freedom of speech, assembly, petition and religion. Enforcers will be on hand to make sure the visitors follow all the rules and obey the authorities. Breaking the rules or failing to obey a command from an enforcer will lead to immediate expulsion.

Funding comes from the Western Washington Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Washington News Council and the Washington Journalism Education Association. Costumed actors from PLU’s Theater Club will portray protesters and enforcers.

“We look forward to giving the community a shock about how our First Amendment rights are taken for granted,” campus SPJ President Nate Hulings said, announcing the second annual event. “Americans don’t think about their rights until they feel them slipping away. We’re going to show them what it feels like to have them completely gone.”

The public is invited to participate.

Check out our video from last year:

In Saturday's column I railed against the corporate CEOs, CFOs and directors who have taken millions in salaries and bonuses, not to mention extravagant perks, as they steered the businesses toward disaster.

Readers had plenty to say. Here's a sampling of their e-mails:

Thank you so much for your article! Finally, the confusion, disbelief, and anger that is giving most of us deep hurt in our guts has made it to print. I only wish that it had been the page one headline as well as the lead editorial. The people are really weary of all the hype and sensationalized headlines and accounts of this crass fiasco. I personally feel though, that the members of Congress, much more so than even the CEO's, are the ones, regardless of the administrations' party, that are the real culprits. Integrity and responsibility has yet to be a consideration to any of them. Until we all take a much more pro-active effort to make our elected representatives transparent and responsible, the government we get is to a large extent of our own making and the status quo is most likely to continue.
We enjoy your columns very much; keep up the good work.

Gene Beavin
Gig Harbor

P.S. If you haven't already read it, you may perhaps enjoy Peggy Noonan's "frisbee" article in yesterday's WSJ.

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