Takes some manning-up, @aggroed, to write this post. The sentence that stuck out most to me was:

... I suppose in hindsight it would have been better to try to warmly and kindly educate rather than launch flags that could have been avoided. ...

I have fallen foul for merely criticising and reporting someone who is a serial downvoter, because that account disagrees with someone elses' political views.

Even an innocent bystander, one of my dear followers who had nothing to do with my comment was downvoted by that person and one of his surrogates. Even my reporting to Steemit-Abuse on Stem.chat was deleted. Shameful!

I wish we could all grow up and be honest to ourselves and others, just as you have done here.

Chapeau! 🎩