Times change, and so do our perceptions of what is acceptable and what is not; and when you know that the use of a word causes upset or offence, why would you continue to use it, when there are other alternatives? Unless of course you wanted to cause upset and offence.
In medieval times it was common for towns to name their streets to show the trades that were carried out there. Most of these names would still be acceptable today, but not so for Gropec*nt Lane, which indicated where the prostitutes plied their trade. Nowadays most of us would not use that word under any circumstances (apart from those who live in Scunthorpe, who have no choice but to live with it
), because it is considered offensive. So there you are, just one example of how things change. History hasn't changed, though; but it is being added to, day by day.
