America is great.

I am free to make a vote in an election and not fear death for doing so. I can become what I want to be if I work hard enough (and know the right people). I could even find a chicken breast shaped like the head of Pope John Paul II and sell it for more than $200.

Yes, someone actually was willing to pay for the chicken breast Eastern freshman Edward Rouzin-Moy discovered while eating lunch in the Thomas Hall dining center.

For one meal swipe Rouzin-Moy was reimbursed with a $232.50 check after selling the papal chicken breast on eBay.

That better be one damn good piece of chicken. It might be worth it for the best lemon pepper seasoning in the world.

It’s been debated if the chicken even looked like the pope to begin with. It can be argued it looks like any older man, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and Elmer Fudd to name a few. But that’s not the issue here.

It’s who is worse in this situation – the seller or the buyer – taking advantage of stupid people or being the stupid person?

Who’s to say someone can’t purposely shape a chicken breast or any other food product after a famous person who recently died and make up a story about it. There could be a storm of celebrity-shaped food items to hit the market with absolutely no regulation of what is authentic and what is created.

But then again, who is stupid enough to buy a piece of chicken that somewhat resembles the pope? Fifty-nine bids prove that a lot of people are that stupid.

My verdict is that it’s great somebody can be opportunistic and make money from something incredibly simple and stupid. And when you find something that works, stick with it.

That is exactly what Rouzin-Moy is doing. Now that he is “famous,” he is hitting up eBay for even more money by offering to sell a 10 minute interview with himself.

What a genius idea. As of 4 p.m. Monday he already had 11 bids with an $11 value.

Maybe I should start charging people for conversations, but I’m sure that would be an ego killer after I go without talking to someone for three weeks.

People have made complaints that it was wrong to take advantage of the pope’s passing to make money. It may be tasteless, but those complainers haven’t legally made $232.50 for a flippin’ chicken breast.

Rouzin-Moy didn’t scam anybody; he just offered a face-shaped chicken breast for sale. If I could only find a pork chop that looks like George Washington, I could end my job search and live off its earnings.

This is a country based on doing anything you can to make money. The smartest and most creative people will end up making the most.

I congratulate Rouzin-Moy for beating the system and making a few bucks legally at the expense of a few ignorant people. Buyers should be looked down on, not the one’s who were smart enough to cash in on a good opportunity.

Editor’s Note: There is no cost to read this column, but anyone interested in an old T-shirt that may or may not have been touched by Michael Jordan, should contact Matt Williams with offers.