This is liberal orthodoxy if I've ever heard it. Nothing but some version of "the devil made me do it," "the man made me do it," "root causes made me do it," "it's all society's fault," blah blah blah blah. If the "target" engaged in conduct that was offensive enough that the mods---not the "coven," mind you---banned him, what caused the ban? Uh, the "target's" own conduct. Even if someone does---oh, boo hoo---start a flame war against you, is your response outside your control and, therefore, is whether or not you commit conduct that could get you banned outside your control? Conservatism is about taking personal responsibility. The "coven" did not commit the conduct that got the "target" banned, nor did the "coven" have the authority to ban anyone. That would be the mods. But, unless the JR and the mods are total nincompoops (is that what you are saying?), a person gets banned for his *personal* conduct on the forum. Right?
No, it's the core conservative concept of seeing someone hoisted on their own petard. Nothing more, nothing less.
Y'all need to buy a clue. Sometimes emotions get high (and that goes for the Admin Mods too - not criticizing them, they have a very tough and generally thankless job) and people say or post things they should not. Things were not as they seemed in '03-early '07.
Sanity has been restored to FR and I for one am glad to see it. If you want perfect, go to Walgreen's.