A county commissioner has prompted calls for him to apologize after using a derogatory term for Hispanics during a meeting.
But Carroll County Commissioner Bill Head stands by his use of the word "wetback" and said he will not apologize.
During a work session Tuesday, Head, 82, said the county needed more jail space because of criminals from nearby Atlanta and "the wetbacks from down south."
None of the other commissioners commented on Head's remarks during the work session or the following business meeting. But Commissioner John Wilson now says Head's use of the term was "inappropriate" and that he should apologize to Hispanics.
"Many of them are here legally ... To me it's no different than saying a racial slur to a black person; it's the same principle," Wilson said. "I thought he was out of line."Head told the Times-Georgian his remark was referring only to illegal immigrants.
"Wetbacks can come from anywhere," Head told the newspaper. "They can come from Cuba; they can from any of the (Caribbean) islands; they can come from Mexico. Anyone is a wetback if they're illegal."He also said he would not apologize.
"I am very forward in what I think and what I say and I will not back up one bit," Head said.
Dr. Jorge Gaytan, a professor at the University of West Georgia and president of the Hispanic Business Council of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce, said he was not surprised by Head's comments.
"In my six-and-a-half years here, I have met several individuals who are racist, but they hide under the anti-immigration face," Gaytan said.Carrollton is about 40 miles west of Atlanta.
