Is everyone that lives on Earth equal? Equality has been an important topic of discussion for many centuries, however this problem still has not been solved. Equality is something that is still relevant all around the world. “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut tells the story of a family living in a world where everyone is handicapped so that they are equal. If someone is too smart, their brain would be shocked to make them forget their intelligent thoughts. Also, if somebody is too skinny, fat, tall, short, ugly, or pretty, the handicaps placed on them would make them have the same abilities and characteristics as everyone else. Nobody was allowed to be better than one another, and there was no competition. One day, while Hazel and George are watching TV, a bulletin appears that states that Harrison has escaped from jail. The TV shows him coming into a ballet performance, and taking off his handicaps to dance with a ballerina. The sight was beautiful, but a government worker came in and killed Harrison. Hazel began crying, however the TV turned off and she couldn’t remember why she was crying. The theme of equality discussed in “Harrison Bergeron” branches out into various topics that have lots of relevance to this day such as gender equality, racial equality, and religious equality.
The issue of gender equality has brought much controversy throughout the course of history. Since centuries ago, women’s rights have been suppressed and they have had less rights than men. Feminist movements started during the enlightenment period and are still around today. “Global feminism has evolved around several key issues, including freedom from oppression and discrimination; equal access to economic, educational, and healthcare resources; and the power to control their own lives both inside and outside the home” (“Feminism”). These points have been brought up during the women’s march that takes place annually in Washington, D.C. Many other disputes about gender equality include those pertaining to job discrimination. A majority of the time, women are being paid less money than men for the same work being done, and they are being denied the opportunity to have the same higher-paying jobs as men (“Women’s Rights”). In certain third world countries, women are not able to work because they are not allowed to receive an education. This leads to a cycle of poverty throughout their lives. In the United States, gender equality issues are largely seen in politics because “in 2018 only 19.3 percent of the seats in the US House of Representatives were held by women, and only 22 percent of the seats in the Senate were held by women” (“Women’s Rights”). Women all around the world continue to fight for equality everyday in hopes of a better future not only for themselves, but for the generations yet to come.
The struggle for racial equality in the United States has been ongoing for centuries. Racism and racial equality movements such as “Black Lives Matter” are greatly talked about on the news and social media platforms. People are often judged by the color of their skin, and they are discriminated against in society. Luckily the conditions of African Americans in the United States has greatly improved after the Civil Rights Movement, but they are still not fully seen as equal to whites. “Racism came to national attention in the United States in 2014 and 2015, when numerous incidents of police brutality highlighted what some believed were the racist tactics of some police against African-Americans and other minorities” (“Racism”). Since these events, the Black Lives Matter movement has protested racial injustice and police violence against African Americans in the United States. In addition, minorities such as Hispanics are being discriminated because of the fact that they are immigrants. They are seen as lesser than American born citizens and are often paid less than them. Racial equality is a problem that should be solved so that everyone can have equal opportunities and not be judged by the color of their skin or their ethnicity.
America has always been the land with religious freedom, but does it have religious equality? Historical events such as the holocaust show that religious equality has been a problem since long ago and religious in-toleration is an issue in many third world countries. A religious study published in 2005 shows that Jews and Episcopalians continue to be the wealthiest and best educated Americans. The study also reports persistent inequality across religious lines in America (“Study Finds Persistent Religious Inequality”). Religious equality is a major problem in the Middle East because groups of people are being discriminated against and even killed because of the religion they choose to have. The persecution of religious minorities by ISIS is an attempt to create a religious state dominated by strict laws of Islam (“Islamic State of Iraq and Syria”). In other countries, there is a national religion that is practiced by the majority of its citizens, so if somebody follows another religion they are not equal to the rest of the population. People should be able to practice whichever religion they want freely and equally.
In summary the theme of equality that is portrayed in “Harrison Bergeron” can be seen in society today. This theme branches out into various topics such as gender equality, racial equality, and religious equality. Although some may think that everyone on Earth is equal, not everything is exactly how it seems. People around the world should unite as one and fight for the equality that everyone deserves.
