I Hope as you said, that they are in fact working on tools to make the Steemit experience more free speech oriented, so the bullshit as you say can stop.
The first time I was soft-censored the downvote came from the lead technical developer of Steemit.
I was shocked to say the least, thought to myself it's almost like they are following the same path as the failing platforms of yesteryear;
(twatter, fakebook, and utube).
The feeling that I get from your second paragraph is one of resignation, and defeat. Steemit is an American company, in America we have freedom of speech, and I think our internet companies should strive to mirror that in the digital realm too.
I think if their users demand it, they will have no choice but to hear us out.
I hope those tools come soon. My third paragraph sheds light on the sense of defeat in my second. The power of the people will demand that those things that are censored to oblivion on other platforms, will be much harder to censor here. Thanks for your responses! It's conversations like this that make me appreciate this platform so much.