Ian,
Whilst I agree with your comment in principal, you have to consider that being a Moderator is not an easy job. They are not on-line, full time, keeping an eye on things and so on many occasions they have to act quickly if they see something developing that could cause serious offence or even breach the law of the land. This does mean that sometimes topics get dealt with in what may appear to be a harsh way.
Not everything in life is perfect, moderating being one of them...
Best wishes,
Barry