Atticus is guided by his strong values and sense of morality. He is commited to defending Tom Robinson and giving him a fair trial because that is what he believes is right. He does know how everyone else feels about the case, and the legal outcome it will likely have--however, he feels it is his moral obligation to fight for his beliefs no matter the odds.
Well, it's kinda obvious. Consumerism is a word typically used for talking about the economy. What sense would it make for that word to appear in a speech supporting astronauts?
