I suppose I would disagree: that the fashions are random, or largely so. "retard: to slow": yet "mentally retarded" changes to "mentally handicapped" to "mentally disabled".
Going strictly by the original definitions, I'm just not seeing the better accuracy of the later terms.
As a counter example, I applaud the gay community for putting the brakes on the politically-correct-damning of the word "gay" which was on it's way to becoming an 'offensive' term. I suppose some still things it is, and of course some teenagers still use it with ill intent, but I think most agree that it's not 'bad' when used in a 'proper' manner.
As a counter example, I applaud the gay community for putting the brakes on the politically-correct-damning of the word "gay" which was on it's way to becoming an 'offensive' term. I suppose some still things it is, and of course some teenagers still use it with ill intent, but I think most agree that it's not 'bad' when used in a 'proper' manner.