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September 25, 2009

"Harrison Bergeron"

by Kurt Vonnegut
THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General....

Posted by Vanderleun at September 25, 2009 9:08 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.

Your Say

I remember that brilliant piece by Vonnegut.

One thing he got wrong: Progressive America has given up on the amendment process; too cumbersome. Just have a pliant federal judge reinterpret the Constitution itself, and that is sufficient, doesn't even have to be the Supreme Court.

Posted by: Roderick Reilly at September 25, 2009 9:41 AM

An excellent story illustrating the idiocy that all men are equal, and if not, should be made so by government edict.

Posted by: Cheezburgrrr at September 25, 2009 2:45 PM

I've been reading this story for the past couple of years with classes of fourth graders. I don't let today's world enter into our discussions at all, but I do hope they remember enough of this story when they grow up to be voters.

Posted by: Harry at September 25, 2009 2:58 PM

The latest (2006) rendition of "What if all men could be made equal" (Sorry, NOW, man embraces woman, as Churchill said)is an outstanding work by Gary Wolf called "Workshop of the Second Self".

Posted by: St. Thor at September 26, 2009 5:23 AM

Vonnegut forgot to add; "And everyone, of course, excepting the government czars had black bread mixed with sawdust for breakfast."

Posted by: Denny at September 26, 2009 5:47 AM

Vonnegut forgot to add; "And everyone, of course, excepting the government czars had black bread mixed with sawdust for breakfast."

Posted by: Denny at September 26, 2009 5:48 AM

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