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Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.

Joeidiocy

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
May 5 2010, 9:50 AM ET Comment

Radley Balko on Joe Lieberman's stupid "strip them of their citizenship" suggestion:

Hey, while we're at it, let's go ahead and add drug crimes to the list of accusations that will strip you of your citizenship. After all, Ronald Regan's 1984 declaration that illicit drugs are a "threat to national security" has never really been revoked, and the ONDCP regularly informs us that pot smokers are supporting terrorism. 

 Lieberman's ready to dispense with the Bill of Rights over a flubbed attack that didn't take a single life. So let's dispense with the niceties, here. 

 Joe Lieberman is a coward.

Indeed. What's amazing about GOP commentary (with Glenn Beck excepted) is how much its been about signaling loyalty, above all else. We're now at the point we're people are saying U.S. Citizens shouldn't be read their Miranda rights. It just feels like a cry for vengeance. I get the sense that very few of these people have ever been on the other side of law enforcement. It's like they think the cops arrest you, and then promptly whisk you away to a country club, where you are served coq au vin, pecan pie and coffee. It's silly 

And then of course there is this:

Did John McCain strenuously object when Scott Roeder was read his Miranda rights? If not, I wonder what criteria McCain is using to determine which American terrorists are entitled to their constitutional rights and which aren't...

Take a guess.


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