Question

How does the following sentence from paragraph 13 contribute to the author's portrayal of Southern beliefs about race at the time of the murder: "Throughout the interview, the two men never showed any sign of guilt or wrongdoing; in their minds they had done what was right to protect their families and their country – they were heroes."

Answer 1

 They thought they were doing something for the benefit of the Southern society at the time.What could be wrong with killing what was supossedly damaging the white society.The murder was committed as an act of  cleansing, that is why they considered themselves heroes.Some Southeners believed that there were evil intentions in the Black, they thought of them as impure and revengeful they did not belong to the world of the free white Americans.