Safety Is Overrated: Rash By Pete Hautman

Safety Is Overrated “Rash” is a speculative fiction navel written by Pete Hautman. Rash shows how safety isn’t something everyone wants because safe does not mean that you’ll enjoy life to its fullest. Rash tells the story of Bo Marston, a 16-year old high school student who lives in the United Safer States of America in 2074.He is forced to wear protective, padded clothes everywhere and cannot do many of the things we can today . Rash shows what an overprotective government can do and how it affect people. The USSA is a dystopian country that devotes all of its attention to the safety of its people. The USSA outlaws almost everything considered unsafe, from French fries to football to littering and with people going to labor camps after three infractions. 24% of the USSA’s population are in these labor camps, including Bo’s father and brother. The story is first set in Bo’s high school, where Bo’s is trying to beat Karlohs Mink, a classmate and rival of Bo in the 100m sprint. They run the 100, Karloh’s beats Bo and Bo, angry and frustrated say’s a mean comment towards Karlohs. One of the tracks several hidden sensors pick up his comment and the next day he is sent to the office. There he is told he has 5 infractions, but he is left with a warning. That same day while going over to the mall he sees Karlohs there, and Karlohs calls him over. Karlohs starts to say things to him and Bo punches Karlohs. Bo is than arrested, than sent to a Labor camp in …show more content…
today, for safety. It kind of tells us how restricting being safe is and how boring it can be. In the book everything “Unsafe” is illegal, punishable by prison. Although it is a very extreme case of a safety taken to far it could happen. Less than 50 years ago seatbelts weren’t required in cars, and people could smoke anywhere they wanted, even in hospitals. In another 50 years where will we be by safety