“But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal – there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court. It can be the Supreme Court of the United States or the humblest J.P. court in the land, or this honorable court which you serve. Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal.”
– Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 20. Atticus in his speech to the jury speaks of the courts as the great equalizer, where all men are equal and justice reigns supreme. He highlights the clash between what he knows to be morally right and the expectations of the Maycomb community. He is hoping the jury will rise above the limitations and prejudices of the local community.
