Equality Questions :] ♥

1. Life in Vietnam would be perfect if everyone were totally equal. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer in complete sentences.
- I disagree completely. If we had to do what the people in the story 'Harrison Bergeron' had to do, that would be torture. Some perfect world. Equality isn't what makes everything fair. Being able to have what you need is what's fair. Everyone has needs... and wants. Equity is fairness because everyone is allowed to have what they need without being on the same level as everyone else. Because everyone is different. We take in the knowledge, food, materials differently. Everyone will be able to have what they need, and its fair because it's not that they won't have it, they'll have it with differences, some more, some less.

2. You are designing a society in which everyone is equal. What are the laws?
- Not to be small-minded or simple, but with a society that everyone is equal, I'd like to keep it like it is now. Except with these conditions;
1. Everyone has a right to say, the wealthy & the non-wealthy, the smart & the un-smart, the tall & the short.
2. Everyone has a house; that house will gradually turn into a home with a family.
3. No one has the right to think that they're not lovable, because it is a certainty that there is someone out there who will love them.
4. Everyone will get what they need, at the right level of needs; more education, food, water, etc...
5. No war or killing.
6. People who disobey these laws will be forced to do lots of writing and skip some meals.

3. What would you do to help people who were less capable mentally, physically, or socially to “catch up”?
- I wouldn't force them. I'd get them to reach their ability, to do what they can. And if they can't, I can't blame them. It would be alright to tell lazy people to work harder and get an A+ or something. But when it comes to the disabled, that's like telling them that they're not trying hard enough to pass the level they're in. But who could blame them? I wouldn't, that's for sure.

4. What problems can you foresee that might come in a society with laws that force “equality for all”? How would you handle those problems?
- People would probably lose their identity. Being afraid of the consequences, they follow the laws. Losing yourself is worst than dying. Think bout it. Would you rather die a happy death, being proud of who you are? Or would you want to live like controlled freaks? Everyone would be robots, made & controlled by the so called 'equal' government or whatever. I would probably stop it of course. I would want life as it is now, except with the conditions I made in Question2.

5. Do you believe that total equality is possible, or would human nature make sure that some people would eventually dominate others?
- I believe total equality is impossible. Well, nothing is impossible? Very unlikely, strongly unlikely. Total equality would mean chaos, and i'm pretty sure at least one person wouldn't like it and would try to take control. Maybe there will be total equality for a moment, a little moment. But not for long. Eventually, someone will do something. Something that would make them more than others; smarter, more powerful, etc..

6. In what situations have you felt similarly to any of the characters? What persons, places, or ideas from your own experience came to mind while you were reading this story? Try to list as least two examples.
- The part when Harrison stood up for himself, I did that once with a teacher, except I got away with it because he finally felt like he was wrong. I felt proud, and like a hero. I don't know what would happen if he didn't back down and called the principal. I'd probably be violating tons of school rules! Leading to suspension or maybe kicked out of school. Like the ballerina who joined Harrison when he stood up, I had followed the people who stood up for what they believed in lots of times, and most of the times, we won because we had reasoning and people would listen to us because we had a right to say what we think, unlike in the story. When the ballerinas were dancing and doing not a very good job of it, I was thinking of a dance I did when I was in second grade, it was really embarrassing, stumbling and all. But we were small, and all beautiful ♥