Many may agree with the author, but the fact is that many people do get offended about words. In the last few days there has been a significant firestorm about South African academic Adam Habib, who was recently appointed as head of the School of Oriental and African Studies at the a University of London because he stated on a Zoom call with some students that if someone used the word n**r that would be a breach of policy. His sin was uttering the word, rather than saying “the n word”, which as a South African person with Indian ancestry, he is apparently not entitled to do. He tried to explain that words need to be understood in context, but was ripped apart by a woke Twitter mob (he has also made enemies in South African politics who gleefully amplified the outrage). After initially standing firm, he seems to have issued a grovelling apology.

If an outrage mob on social media is going to go after you, and they can be placated by changing a few words, it seems eminently rational to change the words.