Every conflict on Wikipedia follows the same pattern. It begins with one user doing something another doesn't like (with or without actual policy violations) but there is a breach of civility and resultant offense in almost every instance.
It must be pretty bad if long-term contributors (say >5000 edits) or administrators are blocked over anything, and I find it hard to believe that a valuable contributor like RickK should be blocked without a polite warning or an offer for help. Without insisting on double standards for administrators, I think long-term contributors, who have spent months working on improving the project and know the ropes, should be protected against people who come crashing into Wikipedia with an agenda to push and an axe to grind.
Rick, I admire your style and commitment to Wikipedia, and hope you will regret your departure. Scrupulous RC patrollers and vandal fighters deserve suport.
JFW