In Chapter 23 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, how does Jem's argument about there being "four kinds of folks" apply to our world today?

In Chapter 23 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout grows extremely upset when Aunt Alexandra denies Scout permission to play with Walter Cunningham, Jr.; Aunt Alexandra even goes so far as to call Walter "trash." In an effort to console his sister, Jem explains to Scout realizations he has had about the differences in people, differences that help explain why everyone is so willing to "go out of their way to despise each other." Jem explains his understanding of differences in the following speech:

There's four kinds of folks in the world. There's the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there's the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes. (Ch. 23)

Jem continues in his explanation to link people's differences to levels of education. We see him draw this connection when he explains to Scout what he believes Aunt Alexandra means when she speaks of "Old Family." Jem has reached the conclusion that "Old Family" does not refer to a person's background but rather to "how long your family's been readin' or writin'." In other words, a family, like the Finches, can be considered a good family of solid birth if the members are well-educated. Those who are not equally well-educated, like the Cunninghams and the Ewells, can be considered, according to Jem and Aunt Alexandra, inferior.

Though Jem's views are controversial, especially today when we like to think of everyone as the same and equal, there is some truth to his argument. Even today, there are different classes and varieties of people. There are the well-educated types, like the Finches; the farming types, like the Cunninghams; the derelicts of society, like the Ewells; and the marginalized. Though there are more opportunities for education today, what separates classes of people is still their education level. Education is and always will be the great equalizer; so long as differences in levels of education exist, inequalities and class distinctions will always exist.