we should be able to have sane and respectful conversations where no one is insulting each other, or anyone else
Why should we?
Your personal opinion does not give you the right to delete comments and block users, just because their opinions don't align with yours!
Actually it does. Just like IRC, the fediverse is not a democracy, it's a dictatorship. As a user, you have no rights at all. You're offered the privilege of being permitted to connect and participate. Don't like it? Nobody cares. Go start your own server/network/whatever.
a public that can simply take no more
Oh ye of little faith. The public can take plenty more. They want it. They're screaming for it. Look at them line up to show fealty to their rich, corrupt king.
Windows 2000 was a good operating system by any measure
ROFL