There is a danger in saying "Atticus is racist because of his time and place," because it leaves an implication of claiming that, because I'm not of that time and place, I could be entirely non-racist. I know I'm not pure, and I've caught myself being distinctly imperfect. You're right that the better question is "How racist am I?" to which my answer is, "Not as much as Atticus?" but I'm reluctant to say that too, because 1) it sounds like preening, though that isn't the intent [see my earlier post on sexism in this regard], 2) it reads like criticism of those who don't see what's racist about Atticus, which is not my desire. We're all imperfect, and I'm in no position to cast stones.