This reminds me of when a Jewish person sometimes gets upset at being called "a Jew" depending on the context. Who is saying it and why? What is the intent? And that's really what people are trying to police here; thoughts, feelings and intent. Words like "Jew" and the abbreviation "Paki" are rooted in a neutral, objective description. Even the word "nigger" is Latin for "black." Historically, it wasn't nearly as offensive as it is today. It was merely a term like "negro." Of course, no term is ever acceptable. Hence the constant updating of terms. Eventually, all ethnic and racial terms become problematic and offensive. Over time they undergo semantic drift due to intrinsic racial identity issues that exist independently and are unavoidable. And the process is rooted in how non-Whites perceive themselves to be perceived by Whites when the latter use these words.