How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"Man, they got crackers and rednecks up here that ain't never seen no Negroes before. If they caught your ass out here like this they'd hang you now, then eat you later." (10.70)
Watch your mouth, Byron—those are some derogatory words you're using. He's comparing white people to cannibals, saying they wait around to eat black folks for dinner. He's clearly exaggerating, but is this racism, too?
Quote #8
Grandma Sands called a couple of times and told them that the police thought two white men drove by in a car and threw [the bomb] in during services, or that they'd already hidden it in the church with a clock set to go off during Sunday school. (15.1)
Okay, now we know that the bombing really was racially motivated. Does that impact how you feel about the event? How would the tragedy be different if it had nothing to do with race? P.S. This bombing was a real historical event, make no mistake.
Quote #9
I ain't never heard of no sickness that makes you kill little girls just because you don't want them in your school. I don't think they're sick at all, I think they just let hate eat them up and turn them into monsters. (15.75)
Sounds like a pretty good explanation of what being racist can do to a person. Put yourself in Byron's shoes. How would you try to explain why someone would kill those girls? Can you think of a different way to try to make sense of their actions?