Review of LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton (2001) by Katyw. — 07 Oct 2006

I am from Batesville MS, which is about 35 miles away from Charleston, which is the town in Tallahatchie county. I worked in Marks, MS for 5 years, and have even eaten in the Dining Room (the restaurant featured in the film.

) [***SPOILERS***] While I feel extremely sorry for Lalee, I do not think that her story should be used as a basis of comparison for the way that all people live in MS. Her daughter couldn't afford to buy school supplies and clothes for her children to go to school, but every time she was shown on camera, she had a cigarette hanging out of her mouth.

I do think that something needs to be done about the education system in Tallahathie County, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that if you can afford a pack of cigarettes, you can afford a pack of paper.

Every time I see something like this on TV, it reminds me of why people from the rest of the country look down on Mississippi. It should be our job as fellow Mississippians to educate our children to break this cycle.

Free rides and hand outs may seem like a quick fox, but they only enable this kind of grotesque poverty to continue.