Guilty...

                I knew this day would come sooner or later, and I knew exactly how it would be. Today was the day of the case. I knew that it would take a miracle to prove Tom innocent, but we didn’t have a miracle. The time we live in is just too based on race. The colour you are depends on what you can and can’t do, where you can and can’t eat, where you can and can’t go, and what you did, or what you were just accused of and still have to take the fault. Tom was accused of being guilty of rape. Every single person in the court room new that he was innocent. They knew that the Bob Ewell was lying and getting his daughter to lie too. But it didn’t matter. We’re in the midst of the depression, and coloured people aren’t important to anyone, no ones cares what is the truth or what is a lie when it comes to someone “coloured”. They all feel like there are more important things to worry about then Tom Robinson, and how he “raped” a white girl or not. I felt terrible because not only did I know he would lose, but I knew he would die as well. They we’re going to kill an innocent man, just because he’s black, just because a white person had make false accusations, just because no one really cared what would happen to him. It disgusts me, but I know there’s nothing I can do about it. I did what I could for him, and I hope he knows that I believed him, and I know the truth, and I respect him for who he REALLY is.

Me trying to defend Tom case, and questioning Mayella Ewell 

Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell 

Scouts Misunderstanding...

                I could not believe what my daughter had told me today. I know she has no real knowledge of this topic, and that’s she has to see it and live through is all the time, but now that I see its in her school, I find that’s its getting to be a little too much. My kids do know that I took the case of Tom Robinson, and apparently the parents of the kids in their school know as well, and those kids must over hear them talking about it. Scout had gotten in a fight today with a boy named Cecil Jacobs. Apparently he had announcing to the rest of the school yard that I “defend N-words”. So when she got home, she had said “do you defend N-words, Atticus?” This made me quite angry, not at Scout but how topics like this are just thrown around an elementary school. I had told her of course I do, but not to say that word anymore. She had questioned many things I told her, only because she’s too young to understand.  She had also asked me if I “shouldn’t be defending him, then why am I?” She doesn’t realize that there are many reasons why I’m doing this. I had told her that if I didn’t I couldn’t hold my head up in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again” I think she got the point of what I was saying, but she still might not understand it fully for a while. It hurt me to hear about the things being said, but I knew it was part of what I had to do.

Me talking to my daughter

Tom Robinson...

Today I was given a case with a coloured man named Tom Robinson. I might have shown a little hesitation in accepting this case, but I knew what I had to do. I have no problems with coloured people, but I knew what the consequences would be. I knew how people would treat me, talk to me, or talk about me. I couldn’t deny this man just because of his colour. I know what is right and what is not. I’m not as scared as I thought I may be, but who I am scared for is my children. I don’t want the things that I have to do, to affect them. I don’t want people talking badly about them or too them because I’m doing what is needed to be done. I don’t think they really understand the problem with it, even though it’s around them every single day of their lives. They don’t realize that it’s racist and not acceptable, but I’m trying to help them understand as new issues come up. People in this town or country for that matter don’t have any morals. Although everyone in this town is against coloured people, I will never understand it. I have my doubts about the case. I know Tom is innocent, but no one will believe it, he’s coloured. They will all just avoid the truth. In my opinion, I don’t see a point to even having a case, but I will do my best to prove this kind man innocent.



This is just a picture of my children
(Jem left, Scout right)