Have the right answer about doing the right thing?

[January 05, 2009]  NEW YORK MILLS, Minn. (AP) -- A tricky question of morality is this year's brainteaser in the annual philosophy competition called the Great American Think-Off.

"Is it ever wrong to do the right thing?" is the theme of the 2009 Think-Off.

The event is organized by Minnesota's New York Mills Regional Cultural Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding the cultural and creative opportunities of rural Americans.

Anyone can enter by submitting an essay of 750 words or less. Four finalists will be chosen to debate the question on June 13 before a live audience.

Last year's question was whether immigration strengthens or threatens the United States. The audience decided Craig Allen, of West Linn, Ore., was most convincing with his argument that the system of immigration and immigration policy is broken, that it encourages illegal immigration and poses a threat to the country.

New York Mills is a farming town of some 1,200 people in central Minnesota, about 170 miles northwest of Minneapolis.

___

On the Net:

Think-off: http://www.think-off.org/

Regional Cultural Center: http://www.kulcher.org/

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.