Greg, as I said before I support you and your roll as a moderator. I know how difficult it can be.
I've followed this thread and have reread a few others where debates between you and a
few others have gone on and on. These members are able to "press your buttons" so to speak, and a couple of them just jump on the control panel and hit
every button they can.
You and I seem very much alike when a situation like this happens.....we react quickly and sometimes not in the most mindful way. But we are human. And the other members act the same way. A tough situation to remedy.
I am going through some difficulties in a relationship right now and in this I see what is happening. I know the difficulty in refraining from a smart *ss reply, trust me there my friend as I'm not to good at it. But I see this reaction from you time to time and I believe that's one thing that some members may have issue with. Others can't handle an authoritive figure sending a pm with a warning.
You may consider asking another mod to step in to a subject if they turn into a flaming battle. The mods are a team, so asking another team mate to step in is always an option.
I have been a moderator on very large forums and understand the difficulties involved. So maybe even another mod seeing whats happening could just step in as a team mate to help you out.
I hope this might help in your situation my friend.
Once again thank you for all you do around here.
Dave