It seems like a lot of the bans take the form "I said something reasonable -> Somebody responded offensively -> I replied offensively". This feels at odds with

It seems like a lot of the bans take the form "I said something reasonable -> Somebody responded offensively -> I replied offensively". This feels at odds with "by simply going about my ways, communicating like a reasonable – but sometimes passionate – person" Without any citations, it's hard to tell how much of this is excessive moderation, but having somebody else break the rules doesn't provide justification for "responding in kind".