This probably counts for nothing (I’m quite aware of being essentially wallpaper here), but I see this in a slightly different way.
I doubt highly that the Pit has changed in tone etc for the worse–I was here the night Bush stole the election and here again the night Kerry lost it. Tempers and feelings were high then and the last 4 years did little to assuage that. Politics is just one area where heated discussions occurred, as we all know.
What my take on this is is this: it’s not that the Pit has gotten suddenly unacceptable for civilized folk, it’s that Ed is no longer tolerant of the “ambiance” there. IOW, (IMO) he isn’t enjoying this any more, if he ever did. Ed, I’m sure you’re a nice guy and you’ve been helpful to me in the past in a thread or two, but perhaps it’s time for you to do something else? Fighting ignorance gets old and stale after a bit and when one is burned out, negativity and problems can seem to become overwhelming. These rules will not change the nature of the Pit–that nature cannot be significantly altered being that it is human nature when all is said and done, but they have already created resentment, frustration and dismay among the Loyal Teeming Millions.
I am not being snarky or snide when I say this: perhaps it’s time for you to find something different to do. Life at The Reader is probably not all fun and games right now. The desire to implement change in the small hope of making things “better” is completely understandable, but this dog won’t hunt.
I say this as a middle aged white suburban soccer mom who wants a place where she can shriek FUCK OFF [to various persons] and not be put away/shut down/socially ostracized for stepping out of my Stepford box. It was too good to last. 