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Isabella Martinez
Y. Garza
English II-5
November 20- 2014
To be or not to be equal
We are all equal, even though it may seem untrue. We tend to balance each other out with
our own distinctive gifts. For instance the bronze over brains metaphor, we use one or the
other to accomplish our goals and using the opportunities given. In the United States well all
have the same opportunities to be able to succeed in the future. The only things holding anyone
back from such opportunities are other people or ones own self. Our gifts can only take us so far
that we have to work harder and use our opportunities to the fullest and get some were in society.
Speaking of societies, Harrison Bergeron and anthems societies are right to an extent, but
otherwise fake. In all, societies have in common that their government can be unfair and strict
when going about rules.
No single one can posses a greater wisdom then the many scholars who are electively all
men for their wisdom. Yet we can. This quote shows that the anthem takes the whole equality
process to a philosophical extreme. Where the government teaches its people to think as an equal
and only think what is best for the group and not for ones self. Yet they put the scholars on such
high pillars of greatness that the scholars themselves look down on others, thinking that they are
better than the rest of their brothers. We all know that the ones who are better than the rest is the
government. But even the people in this government are nothing more than drones simply
following orders. Nobody can do or say anything against the government for they would be
punished. Since there is no freedom of speech it could drive others insane for not being able to

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express themselves. Overall the equality in anthem is more philosophically forceful than
physical. It is close to the United States way of equality but not as drastic and changing the how
we talk.
If I tried to get away with it, then other peopled get away with it and pretty soon wed be
right back to the dark ages, with everybody competing against everybody else. Even though it
does not say in the quote above but Harrison Bergeron takes the American principal psychically
extreme. They have the right to do things differently and being able to express themselves freely.
But people in that society are forced to keep anything extraordinary hidden to be equal with
people around them. Some are fine with it, in the quote that its fine with the handicaps since to
those people it made life easier. On the other hand people like Harrison chose to be different
making the government take him down for all the changes hes making. The government here is
very forceful using violence to try and keep everyone equal.
We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are
endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, which among these are liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. To many, the declaration of independence takes the American principle
illusionary. While it does state that everyone is born equal but in society it is not true. In reality
women and other races are pushed aside for someone who meets government standards. The
declaration of independence also states that everyone has the rights to do things concerning for
ones future but are shot down by officials. Why? Maybe because even though we are equal we
just do not have the characteristics, money or schooling for what the officials want. So we have
to try twice as hard to get our way. The declaration of intendance does not force equality with
mental or physical means but hopes for the best that people follow the declaration accordantly.

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In the end all the governments have the power and the means to either force or not force
everyone to be equal. Its highly unlikely that the people of the societies would allow that to
happen. Equality may be hard to achieve but not impossible, its harder to fully understand what
it means. We never know though, someone could start making the societies like anthem or
Harrison Bergeron making everything ideally equal. We all are equal true or untrue its up to you