I have to agree with the friend.....It's not the word (fetch) that's offensive, it's the environment in which it is used. For example... while as a freshmen attending college (in the south). I was in a work study program as apart of my tuition assistance. I was told to "go fetch" some shelves and bring them to that person. I immediately observed the fact that I was the only african-american in the group. While everyone else was asked to bring or retrieve (caucasian students) I was told to "go fetch?" ARE YOU SERIOUS? Needless to say that she had to "go fetch" her own shelves. So.... be conscientious of how and when to use that word when dealing with people.