I agree with you Lucy, however it wasn't these things that got them banned anyway. If we banned people on heated debates alone, nobody would be here, especially your good self
! LOL! Much of the time, people report many comments people make, and our attitude generally is to let people get on with it and see how it goes.
Much of these 'controversial' topics took place after 8pm when there was no management, and we found that we were inundated with having to ban trolls, warn people, clear up misunderstandings, deal with man, many reported posts, submit reports in the Ugly Mugs section, etc. and it was getting out of hand. The truth of the reality is, people love the drama, but despite that, some things are just not acceptable.
You see, many people tend to focus on the smaller picture here. We are not here to 'silence' and 'censor', but at the same time, we are challenged if anything happens to (if you like) 'celebrity' posters. Status does not mean invincibility; sometimes it seems posters think they can say whatever they like because of their reputation, but if anyone else said it, we would recieve several reports.