As a non-American, the intellectual infantilization around bad words is completely insane to me.
I'm totally in for discussing this, if you dont like it about nationality, then make it about culture/language?
"Comments should get more thoughtful and substantive, not less, as a topic gets more divisive."
and this one:
When disagreeing, please reply to the argument instead of calling names. "That is idiotic; 1 + 1 is 2, not 3" can be shortened to "1 + 1 is 2, not 3."
I guess an equivalent might be what'd happen if a well known persona started wearing a toothbrush moustache. It's not illegal (presumably!). Would it create retaliation, sure.
The words are not regulated by law as you suggest, but insults are.