Harrison Bergeron Essay

Imagine being silenced, criticized, and trapped. Harrison Bergeron and China experience this every day. Harrison Bergeron is about censorship from a strict government, and a man who tries to overcomes it; in China's government of filters and sensors which is better known as "the Great Firewall," is a great example as China’s citizens who try to overwhelm it. Harrison Bergeron presented a diverse perspective of the future, or better yet, of today.

Society is slowly emerging into a Harrison Bergeron-like society. The story, Harrison Bergeron, it reads, "And George... had a little mental handicap radio in his ear. He was required by law to wear it at all times. It was tuned to a government transmitter... the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people... from taking unfair advantage of their brains"(Vonnegut 34). The people in Harrison's world have handicaps to keep them all equal, censoring them, preventing them to think for themselves. In China, they have firewalls to censor people's view of the world, so they cannot think to themselves too. The article, “China’s Internet Crackdown” states, "Experts say the government fears that too much-unfiltered

People in both societies are being harmed in what protects Americans today: the eighth amendment. The story reads, "But he didn't get very far with it before another noise in his ear radio scattered his thoughts. George winced"(Vonnegut 36). When someone winces that means that he or she is in pain. Having something to scatter thoughts, only to hurt oneself, is not only cruel but unusual. In the article, it reads, " Criticism of the government isn't tolerated, and people who speak out are routinely imprisoned. China's government throws people in jail if they are caught talking poorly about the government, or using a VPN (virtual private networks)." People are thrown in jail, just for talking poorly of the government. Talk about cruel, and