"Not about the words, but the challenge to fight."

Yep, fighting words, magical insult words, first-initial-only words, it all comes down to the same thing in the end. We are responsible for how we react. No word forces us to get angry or feel sad or start swinging.

As for discourse, it's no coincidence that these kinds of words come out when people are losing the argument. They *want* a reaction so they can shift away from the argument they're losing. You always know you've won when the name-calling starts.