This is the first time I've ever even heard the word Piccaninnies... and regardless of it's possible slur connotation, it's a wonderful word to say... it rolls off the tongue in a fantastic way... full of alliteration and assonance... Why ever would you NOT want to say it?

If you're not using the word to be racist, what's the problem? The word itself isn't racist.. it's just a word... Like whitey, or honkey, or cracker, they're just words... It's not the words that are the problem... it's the naïve, bigoted, in-bred, asshole who's using such words to try to hurt someone that's the problem...

Blaming the words and punishing them is like blaming the matches when the kid burns down the house... or blaming the gun when drive-by's occure....