Please don't take this as an admonishment, but I have seen similar remarks, and I figured I would use your post to correct some things. Given recent events, I really am not doing this out of malice or to kick you when your down.
First, there are no "mods". Not here, not anywhere at DU. There are admins (3), there are MIRT (30), and there are hosts (I have no frikken clue how many). The admins are the big bosses and they make most of the decisions about the functioning of the board, including updates and the like. The MIRT is responsible for taking out the trash, i.e. new users who are here to disrupt, and on very rare occasions, long-time disruptors, but that is usually a function of the admins. There are two types of "hosts", the Main forum hosts (30) who monitor the main forums and lock threads when they violate a group's SOP. That's all they can do. I don't think they can block posters from the main groups, but I could be mistaken. Then there are the hosts of the various groups, about all we can do is remind people of the rules of our group, and block people we feel are disruptive to the group, and lock threads which violate our group's SOP. We have no say over hiding or un-hiding posts, even the admins can't do that, so I am told. Some hosts are quick to act in various groups, while others are more collaborative.
Second, the hosts have no power over alerts, except the ones they make and the ones which deal with SOP issues for the group, so only OPs are in our purview.
Third, not all groups are "safe spaces", but more than a few are. Sadly, many at DU aren't aware of the ones that are and are not. Also, some seem to think 'safe space' means they can say whatever they like, and that simply isn't true. All members must follow the rules of DU, even in our safe spaces. That said, there are flexibilities in the groups which don't exist/exists in other groups. You can start a Meta-type thread in almost all sub-groups and the hosts will not lock them. You can't do that in the main forums. There are certain topics not allowed in the main groups, which the smaller groups do allow, depending on the hosts.
Finally, no group, safe space or not, is immune from any DU'er, even a blocked one can still read and alert on a thread/post in a group from which s/he has been blocked. There are those who troll groups, especially some safe space groups and look for reasons to alert.
Personally, I think we are long past due for a review of the jury system, but I don't see one coming anytime soon. People either don't take the jury seriously, or use it as a way to settle vendettas. I believe most, however, are done in good faith, but the aforementioned really create the problems. Also, some of the problems lie with the actual alerts, which can be the fault of the alerter or those reading it. The other part of the problem is people not understanding the role of the jury. I have seen off-topic posts hidden, which isn't the role of a jury, it is a SOP violation. Posters still don't understand the alert system and misuse it.
Someone in another post summed it up...the jury system is a crapshoot. That's pretty much it.
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