I’ve gotten several good responses to the stories that ran Sunday about Harper Barnes’ new book, “Never Been a Time.” See Books page for stories.

A couple of readers had small nits to pick. One caller said I should have explained more about the railroads  - and thought the topic should be a series!

This reader commenting by e-mail has a point I thought I might share. I asked whether I could post his note here. I’ll save my response for comment after this note.

Over-all, I greatly enjoyed your interview with Harper Barnes.  His book re: the race riots in 1917 East St. Louis is something all Americans should know about.  It is also a sad chapter about intolerance, irrational fear and racial hatred. However, in the last Q & A of the interview you were quoted as saying,
“we’re a country built on the backs of slaves and cheap labor.”  Of course,
that is part of history or almost any nation’s history.  However, the
impression left by your comments for the uninformed could greatly mislead them.  Our nation was, mostly built, by hard-working people of all races and colors as carpenters, farmers, electricians, plumbers, nurses, teachers, bankers, food workers, housewives, husbands, milkmen, mail carriers and countless other people living in a great, yet, imperfect society.  Name a society which has righted it’s wrongs more openly than the United States of America.All the best,Tim Kelley