Breather Assignment

The movie 300, although stupid, is a good example of people fighting for their civil liberties. When confronted by messengers from a foreign government, the people of Sparta resist. The king of Persia is on a mission to conquer the world. He has already fought and now controls many countries, and has an army of thousands. The Spartans have always enjoyed freedom, and their ideas have been passed on through generations. Their leader, Leonitus, is proud of their culture and their freedom, and he refuses to let someone else rule his country.
It is against Spartan law to fight a war at this particular time, because of a religious holiday. However, Leonitus and 300 brave soldiers exercise their right to freedom, and prepare for battle in a narrow canyon that leads into Sparta. For days, these 300 men hold their ground in this canyon, and defeat thousands of the invading Persians. They remain strong because they stay together, and use their shields to make a wall, which prevents the Persian's arrows from penetrating. By holding the front line, they are able to withstand the giant army, but only for a while. In the end they are betrayed by a mutant Spartan, who shows the Persians a pathway around the canyon, allowing them to surround the Spartans.
The Persian King gives Leonitus one last chance to surrender his freedom and his country. But Leonitus has been taught never to surrender, never to stop fighting. He nearly kills the king with his spear, but barely misses, and at last the enemy's arrows rain down from the sky by the thousands, and all 300 Spartan soldiers are killed.
Although this movie ended badly for the Spartans, it represents the battle we must continually fight for the freedoms we enjoy. Again and again it seems forces beyond our control try to take things from us, or tell us what to do. Like the Spartans, we must remain strong, and hold onto our freedom. Even when the odds are against us, we must never surrender, we must never stop fighting.