Imagine living in a society where everyone is mentally, physically, and socially equal. Americans have been trying to have racial and gender equality for many years. Ideally this would be a great idea. In the short story, "Harrison Bergeron" written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. the society that he created is living to the first amendment that everyone is created equally. But, has it been taken to the extreme? In the story is said that the intelligent, strong, and beautiful must wear a handicap that consist of earphones, heavy weights, and ugly masks. Therefore Vonnegut makes his point, "Everybody was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal in every which way" (Vonnegut 1). In today's society everyone is free and nobody is equal.
A student from an English class stated, "Equality is a great idea [ ] however, absolute equality is another issue in which too much of a good thing may cause matters to go wrong" (www.elcamino.cc.ca.us, "In all Fairness-) Vonnegut created a society where each human being is never looked upon as anything more or less than the person next to him/her. George, Harrison's father, and Hazel, Harrison's mother, is a good example. George's intelligence is above normal but Hazel is just normal. However, George must wear a radio in his ear so he will not be tempted to use is .
brain. I disagree with Vonnegut on the sense that everyone is entitled to use whatever gift God has given to him or her. George and Harrison are given the gift of .
intelligence. They should be able to use it and not brought to the level of normalcy, whatever that is. I believe that not one person is completely equal to another. A student has given a good point, "All people are born with unique abilities and characteristics that make them totally unequal to any other living being. They can be equal to before law, or have an equal vote in political fairs, but they are by no means entirely equal" (http://students.
