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If the word is banned in a crossword row, would it still be valid as the answer to a down clue?

Several months ago a Supreme Court nominee was attacked for using the term “sexual preference” and Webster’s immediately added “offensive” to its definition. I must admit I didn’t know it was, but then Webster’s hadn’t known either. Thank goodness I know now. I wouldn’t want to be arrested.

Buddy - I salute you!

M

Fully agree with sentiments here. Also I’m guessing Linda Todd’s not a Guardian reader. From a Philistine puzzle last year…

Reject one way or the other (5)

…which I thought was rather good!

This is The Age of Outrage, Half of us get terribly cross when we see or hear a certain word and the other half get terribly cross because the others get cross and try to ban the word.
Every age has its Morality Police and, although I personally hate to see words banned, we are hardly living back in the days of the Lord Chamberlain or the Obscene Publications Act. It used to be the government that banned words, now it's academics and the righteous - who, ironically, would be the first to champion anti-censorship if the censors were once again the government.
Cross words indeed!

Bella my thanks go to you for chipping in! You make a broader point no less worthy of comment.

I suspect we agree on much here…but in the interest of good debate I quibble with two of the words you used.

Half - I’m very confident it is not 50% of people! Between 0.5% - 5% I would guess, but by gum they have skilfully used new media to amplify their voices and views greatly in excess of their numbers!

And for ‘righteous’ I think ‘self-righteous’ would be more apposite!

Thanks again

M