Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut.................?

Question

In the first paragraph of the story, it says " All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General" what does this sentence mean. And in the story handicaps is an object, what do they mean by that (handicaps as an object). If you don't know the story go to google.com and type in the story title and click the first one. I read he story but these parts don't make much sense to me.