The controversy over Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s comments in the new book Game Change sent C-VILLE looking for a quote from Albemarle County Supervisor Rodney Thomas. In September, Thomas—who replaces David Slutzky on the board—spoke with the Daily Progress about why his vocabulary may not always err on the side of political correctness:
"’I really don’t want to have to change my vocabulary just to adapt to someone else’s politically correct answer to something,’" Thomas told the Progress. "’I mean, I’m still having a hard time calling Asians, "Asians." I still call them "Orientals." And I have a hard time calling the black people "African-Americans." I’m forcing myself to do it.’"
Also in the Progress: "‘The word "N-word" was never used in my house. And I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think I’ve ever used the word either, unless it was "Negro." I don’t know; do they mind me calling them a Negro anymore? Is that improper also?’"
Supervisor Rodney Thomas
In Game Change, Reid is quoted as referring to President Barack Obama as "light-skinned" and "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one"—comments that he has since apologized for making.
Senator Harry Reid
