The idea of having equal rights is strongly sought after in all cultures. “Harrison Bergeron” is a short story about an alternative future where all members of the dystopian society are physically and mentally handicapped in order to make every member equal. Similarly, in today’s society we try to force equality through the Affirmative Action Plan and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. While the establishment of equality is seen as beneficial to many members of society, it can sometimes lead to unintended consequences such as the lack of competition, decrease in motivation, and the loss of the initiative to work hard.
The social policy of equality is highlighted in Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s short story “Harrison Bergeron” and directly corresponds with many education and employment policies in the United States. In “Harrison Bergeron,” the Handicap-General is responsible for limiting the abilities and appearances of every member in society with the goal to make everyone completely equal. The character George, Harrison’s father, was quite intelligent and therefore had to have “a little mental handicap radio in his ear... Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains.” Similarly, beautiful women and ballerinas typically had to wear bags or masks over their heads to limit their …show more content…
In the Supreme Court case, Mach Mining v. EEOC, “A female employee at Mach Mining filed a charge with the EEOC claiming that Mach Mining had refused to hire her as a coal miner because of her sex.” (Stevens and Vladeck). Even though it was found that the company was discriminating, the fact that issues like this rise up to the Supreme Court illustrates that there will always be serious conflicts and disagreements of things being considered
The social policy of equality is highlighted in Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s short story “Harrison Bergeron” and directly corresponds with many education and employment policies in the United States. In “Harrison Bergeron,” the Handicap-General is responsible for limiting the abilities and appearances of every member in society with the goal to make everyone completely equal. The character George, Harrison’s father, was quite intelligent and therefore had to have “a little mental handicap radio in his ear... Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains.” Similarly, beautiful women and ballerinas typically had to wear bags or masks over their heads to limit their …show more content…
In the Supreme Court case, Mach Mining v. EEOC, “A female employee at Mach Mining filed a charge with the EEOC claiming that Mach Mining had refused to hire her as a coal miner because of her sex.” (Stevens and Vladeck). Even though it was found that the company was discriminating, the fact that issues like this rise up to the Supreme Court illustrates that there will always be serious conflicts and disagreements of things being considered