My aunt works at a Catholic center for evangelization in Madison, NJ, called St. Paul Inside the Walls and last night the center hosted a discussion on the nature and basis of human dignity with Professors Cornel West and Robert George. I've been a fan of Cornel West since the first time I caught him on Real Time with Bill Maher, so I jumped at the opportunity to see him - becuase he always makes me THINK.
Now I won't get into the specific details of the discussions and topics, but time was spent on the fact that people are the ends that societies means are supposed to serve and not the other way around; abortion; same sex marriage; the current struggle of American society; and whether or not christianity has been thoroughly highjacked by those interested in taking advantage of people for nothing more than their own benefit. Organized greed is a dangerous thing, and human beings have a value that you cannot put a price on. Again, it's all about making you think about the world around you, perhaps from someone else's perspective.
After the discussion I got a chance to meet Professor West briefly and hear him field direct questions from some of the event attendees. I didn't get a chance to ask my specific question during the event, but I was lucky in that the final questioner touched on the topic that I was going to raise. So, I simply listened to the ideas being passed in the very intimate after-event setting. However, on my way home I thought of a question that I would like to ask Professor West should our paths cross again: "Why is it that in New Jersey none of the gas stations that I come across have convenient stores attached to them? Every station that I pulled into was attached to a garage, and all I really wanted for my 10PM drive back to Poughkeepsie was a snack. I mean, what does a guy have to do to get some combos in this state?"
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