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Ta-Nehisi Coates Puts the S Into Stupid

Ta-Nehisi Coates puts the S into Stupid,  Coates must have watched too much Dallas.   He seems to think J.R. Ewing represents the typical white man, via Bradford-Delong [1]:

“When you’re white in this country, you’re taught that everything belongs to you…You think you have a right to everything…. You’re conditioned this way. It’s not because your hair is a texture or your skin is light. It’s the fact that the laws and the culture tell you this. You have a right to go where you want to go, do what you want to do, be however—and people just got to accommodate themselves to you.

So here comes this word that you feel like you invented, and now somebody will tell you how to use the word that you invented. ‘Why can’t I use it? Everyone else gets to use it. You know what? That’s racism that I don’t get to use it. You know, that’s racist against me. You know, I have to inconvenience myself and hear this song and I can’t sing along. How come I can’t sing along?’… The experience of being a hip-hop fan and not being able to use the word ‘ni–er’ is actually very, very insightful. It will give you just a little peek into the world of what it means to be black. Because to be black is to walk through the world and watch people doing things that you cannot do, that you can’t join in and do. So I think there’s actually a lot to be learned from refraining..

I have a suggestion for Mr. Coates. If you do not like the word nigger, do not use it. Next problem please.