by Jason Stotts
I was at Easton recently and while waiting in line at Starbucks, I overheard a conversation which disturbed me. There was a girl in front of me in a rather long line, due to some incompetent elderly folks and their inability to order, and she was talking on her cell phone. Now she seemed to be a rather intelligent looking girl who was fairly attractive as well; she seemed to be about 19, had pretty brunette hair, and appeared to be affluent given her dress.
What disturbed me was this: while in a conversation with a friend, about going abroad for the summer, I overheard her say the following “What’s in Europe? Wait, is Paris in Europe?” I could hardly believe my ears, to think that there could be a person alive who did not know on what continent to find Paris…was, to say the least, astounding.
I greatly enjoy bastions of economic prosperity such as Easton and I find them to be an uplifting view of human progress – yet I’m disconcerted by those I find there. To think that there could really be people so stupid enjoying the fruits of other men’s minds makes me physically ill.
Aristotle said that there are two kinds of people who don’t need cities: gods and brutes. Yet, I find that there are many who don’t deserve cities.