"because first and foremost I believe in free speech." Spot on. 
Same thing happened to me, RadirD. I've routinely okayed comments about liberals or Obama that I found offensive but I felt were nonetheless civil.
Isn't that what a free and open society are about? Free exchange of controversial speech?
I also don't understand it: If the system already has civility standards built into the software, what's the purpose of our rating it?
Unless the computers are training their new human subjects.