Why must it be addressed "publicly"? You're assuming that mods don't discuss things amongst themselves and others via PM/email.
A "public" shit storm is the very thing they try to avoid...which is precisely why people who sometimes act like jackasses such as you and I et al, are not moderators.
Because when you call one person out publicly for something and not another who is doing the same thing, it screams bias. If they don't want a shit storm, either address EVERYONE privately, or make a point to address specifically ALL involved and not just one side.
It doesn't help when you have a mod who says daily i'm right and you are wrong and you are on the wrong side of history and you are an idiot and blah blah blah.
It stinks of bias, even if not intended, to scold one person publicly, but not the other person basically doing the same thing. It screams even more bias when the other person not being addressed is a mod.
It scream even more bias when it seems more often than not its mostly a specific group on a certain side of the political isle that doesn't align with many mods who end up getting called out.
Read the posts? Who posts the most negative and hateful posts? And who gets targeted to play nicer?
a right winger was banned from this thread for making a joke about me, which was just a joke, but left wingers can spew hate posts without an eyebrow raise from the mods.....
I have no issues with people posting their opinions however stern. I only have issues when some people get targeted for creating conflicts when others don't, who are creating the same conflicts by posting the same stern opinions and degrading all who have a differing opinion.
Some of these same people say responsibility starts at the top. No different than here. Responsibility to have a better forum starts at the top. If mods cant stop from degrading other posters with their opinions, how can they expect the average member?