Why is it "none of the BBC's business" when you send hate mail to the BBC? Haven't you made it their business?
All parties are invited to remember, one guy's considered opinion is another guy's hate speech.
And then, ever so often, the wind changes, the tables are turned, those in the wrong are now in the right, and those in the right are now everybody's laughing stock.
Who defines the standards? In this case, the BBC.
Why do there need to be "standards of acceptability" at all? Seems to me the better world is one in which people don't interfere in other people's employment.
Proving real damage to the BBC due to what they perceive to be "hate speech" is difficult.
The BBC has put in their terms that they reserve the right to cause real financial harm to those they perceive to be writing "hate speech".
I can put in my contract that I reserve the right to murder you, and if you sign it I'm still going to jail. Such is the case here. The BBC just made themselves look like idiots for no enforceable reason.