"There are men, in all ages, who mean to exercise power usefully; but who mean to exercise it. They mean to govern well; but they mean to govern. They promise to be kind masters; but they mean to be masters." Daniel Webster

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Atticus Finch and the Limits of Southern Liberalism

Malcolm Gladwell's latest article has been getting a lot of buzz. The again, it seems that everything he writes generates a lot of discussion.

The part that focuses on "To Kill a Mockingbird" and Southern rape trials is very interesting and makes some telling points. But one could almost read this as confirmation of the old Southern apologist line that things were getting better in the South until those evil civil rights activists and Yankees got involved, which I'm sure Gladwell doesn't mean to argue.

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