OCT. 12, 2011 -- The American South has changed a lot in the 40 years since integration came to much of the region. Not only are educational systems better throughout the South, but the economy is more diverse. Millions of more people live here, bringing with them their talents, resources...

If you listen to the rhetoric and political grandstanding surrounding the Gulf oil disaster and ongoing cleanup, much of the talk is about people getting their lives back to normal -- to how things were.

But is this really the right focus? Just look at how things have been.

For...