I do understand moderators have rules to obey and enforce. And i really can't get mad about that.
Nor can I. That being said there seems to be a
very wide range of enforcement attitudes across the moderating team here, which I personally find disconcerting.
There also seems to be at least some inconsistency, too. I know I've been raked over the coals for "the tone I've taken" where I have witnessed other moderators saying almost precisely the same thing, in the same tone, sometimes repeatedly and it's allowed to pass. And I'm not talking about something being said in the role of moderator.
Moderators should be, in my opinion, considered nothing more or less than other members except when they are exercising their duties, most of which do not occur in public view. If a moderator can say it in public, and has, then other members should be able to as well.
And moderators can and should expect the same kind of push back as anyone else when discussing anything where they're just a part of a topic like all other participants. If a moderator "is to be feared" then they're not doing their job well.