To delete comments, or not to delete?

Given the recent furor about this topic, I thought I'd add some points: On my threads I've had comments ranging from the actually insane to the highly relevant. Some comments corrected points I'd made, and were therefore very useful. So the information contained in these comments was directly pertinent to the content. So are opinions, and so are personal beliefs. I'm a pro writer. I work in Europe, the US, and Australia, doing advisory and commercial writing, as well as journalism and creative work. Feedback is the essence of this work. If I didn't get feedback, I'd have no idea whether I was actually making my points or just adding more verbal ballast to the internet. Some questions: Are writers in a position to merely contradict, or ignore, criticism, when it relates directly to substance of their materials? Are facts like other viewpoints "offensive", or excuses? Can you handle criticism? If not, why not? Are you prepared to accept contradictory views, yes/no? Can you argue in defence of your own points, or are you prepared to hide behind the "delete" button, and hope for the best? Are you writing news, opinions, or an ideological travel brochure? If you're not writing a brochure, democracy makes allowances for other viewpoints. I don't usually get involved in site issues, not wanting to fan the flames or add any credibility to the polarized posts. But- May I say that I've noticed that one of the lucky recent recipients of the "delete" syndrome is John Rickman. John is one of the better informed, more articulate writers on this site. I've never known John to be malicious, or anything less than sincere, and he can argue his points properly. Even when I don't agree with him, I can always respect his views on that basis. I have my doubts about people ducking John's and other writers' points on that basis, too. There aren't too many axes being ground on DJ, just informed opinions. We all write, we all have professional areas of expertise, and we don't just write comments for the aesthetic values. I don't see how DJ benefits from "reactive editing". Nor do I think personal targeting is much of an asset. We survived without the delete function before, and I think our writers are mature and experienced enough to show restraint and discretion in using this function. I have yet to delete a comment, and I doubt if I ever will. Comments?