Harrison Bergeron

Overall, I liked this story. It seems plausible that everyone in the future could be suppressed into equality. Even today, we try to make sure no one feels inadequate. An act that is justifiable, but should never be taken so extreme. Everyone should feel confident in who he or she is, and be able to reach his or her full potential. I think it is ridiculous to stifle a person’s abilities in order to keep someone else from feeling bad. It is also dumb that in some elementary schools they have a “graduation” from one grade to the next. It makes graduating from high school or college seem like no big deal. If we lived in the world portrayed in the story, we would never move forward as a society. We would stifle anyone who could make a real difference in the world, like Harrison Bergeron. He was willing to fight against everyone to help the nation as a whole. He probably could have thought it out better, but he was only fourteen. In addition, I would think having weights and multiple handicaps on you would just be a sign to everyone else that you are smarter or prettier. Then everyone would try to get more handicaps to prove how much “better” he or she was. True equality in that way would never be met. There never will and never should be true equality and the short story shows a great example of why this is so. Our nation needs distinction between people. How could you ever learn from someone else if they are just like you? No one would be able to rule if they as smart as everyone else, well maybe. I thought the shooting of Harrison and his girlfriend was harsh. I also do not believe that the parents would forget what happened that suddenly. Bye.