discussion 
A request to refactor the remark should have been the first step.
 Yes, but the post(s) were already removed, and no sign of them being re-added, 8 hours later. 

A consensus should have been sought
 wp:consensus has Been repealed at wp:V and associated POLpages, since last November.Joke

The Mediator ought to have been allowed to handle it
 No, it was an emergency, and WWIII has been declared in the Mittel-Ost Joke 

Humor is not allowed on Wikipedia
 I got no sense of humor left, after this schemozzle, probably never had a sense of humor in the first instance. Blah, no sense of drama either. Or timing apparently, should have remembered its full moon, vampires, vutures and werewolves, all that spooky stuff.  ( talk)