NEW YORK, NY - New York Nicks president Isaiah Thomas held a press conference today to officially condemn the word 'ho', particularly when used by a white person. The term, deemed by many to be derogatory towards women, recently helped end the
career of radio talk show host Don Imus, when he used it describe the NCAA women's championship basketball team. Thomas says the unrestricted use of derogatory terms towards black women must come to and end.
"Don Imus' use of that word was reprehensible." said Thomas, during a recess of his sexual harassment trial. "No black woman should suffer the indignity of being called a 'ho' by someone from another race."
"Certain words only become taboo after crossing racial lines." says Elmira Smith, professor of African-American Linguistics at Howyflyl University. "No one cared how many 'ho's were out there until Imus used the term. I'm sure Mr. Thomas felt compelled to make that distinction after his 'bitch' statement."
Thomas testified during his trial that while a white man calling a black woman a 'bitch' is unacceptable, a black man using the term is "not as bad". "If white people had never used these words, there wouldn't be any controversy over black people using them. Now they carry a negative connotation."
he said. Thomas and the Nicks plan a ceremonial burial of both terms in the near future.
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