My most immediate thought in reading this was it reminded me of the Kurt Vonnegut dystopian science-fiction short story published in 1961 entitled
Harrison Bergeron In case you have never read this short story, let me briefly summarize it for you:
- In the year 2081, the 211th, 212th, and 213th amendments to the Constitution dictate that all Americans are hereafter fully equal and not allowed to be smarter, better-looking, or more physically able than anyone else. The Handicapper General's agents enforce the equality laws, forcing citizens to wear "handicaps": masks for those who are too beautiful, implant loud radios that disrupt thoughts inside the ears of intelligent people making them average and impose heavy weights for the graceful, strong or athletic.
One April, 14-year-old Harrison Bergeron, an intelligent, athletic, and good-looking teenager, is taken away from his parents, George and Hazel Bergeron, by the government, who exists, they are told to care for their every need. . They are barely aware of the tragedy, as Hazel, Harrison’s mother, has "
average" intelligence (a
euphemism for stupidity), and George, his father has a handicap radio installed by the government to regulate his exceptional intelligence.
Hazel and George avid fans of the ballet and are watching the ballet on television. They comment on the dancers, who are weighed down to counteract their gracefulness and beautiful physiques. They are also wearing masks to hide their attractiveness. George's thoughts are continually interrupted by the different noises emitted by his handicap radio, which piques Hazel's curiosity and imagination regarding handicaps. Noticing his exhaustion, Hazel urges George to lie down and rest his "
handicap bag", which weighs 47 pounds (21 kg) and is locked around George's neck. She suggests taking a few of the weights out of the bag, but George resists, aware of the illegality of such an action.
On television, a news reporter struggles to read the bulletin and hands it to the ballerina wearing the most grotesque mask and heaviest weights. She begins reading in her unacceptably natural, beautiful voice, then apologizes before switching to a more unpleasant voice programmed by the Handicapper General. She issues a Government Alert that Harrison Bergeron has escaped from the Government Re-educati0n Center. A full-body photograph of Harrison is shown, indicating that he is seven feet (2.1 m) tall and burdened by three hundred pounds (140 kg) of weighted handicaps.
George recognizes his son for a fleeting moment, but before having this thought, it is immediately eliminated by his radio transmitter. Harrison himself then storms the television studio in an attempt to overthrow the government. He calls himself the
Emperor and rips off all of his handicaps, along with the handicaps of a ballerina, whom he proclaims his Empress. He orders the musicians to play, promising them nobility if they do their best. Unhappy with their initial attempt, Harrison takes control for a short while, and the music improves.
After listening and being moved by the music, Harrison and his Empress dance while flying to the ceiling, then pause in mid-air to kiss, another illegal act.
Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, enters the studio and kills Harrison and the Empress with a ten-gauge double-barreled shotgun. The musicians put on their handicaps again after she threatens them at gunpoint, and the television goes dark. George, unaware of the televised incident, returns from the kitchen and asks Hazel why she was crying, to which she replies that something sad happened on television that she cannot remember. He comforts her and they return to their average lives.
So, in the world of Harrison Bergeron, everyone is equal in all respects. Equality abounds! The Government has made certain of that. Because, after all, the Government is all-knowing and exists to care for your every need.
Of course, this is all science fiction….or is it?