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Unless the longtime member is the site owner/head administrator, all members are created equal. One of the forums I go to is run by mob rule. It isn't pleasant. People respect fairness, so ban the long time members under the same criteria you'd ban a newbie. If the punishments you've designated are fair, the member deserved it. I can't imagine yours or any forum bans on the first offense. It's not the last straw that gets you banned; it's all the offenses before it. Also, if you do ban a long time member, it'll play a large part in dispelling any myths of favoritism amongst your members. I can't think of any forum I go to, barring technical oriented forums like this one, where there isn't the perception of a "Good Old Boys" club of the original elite, who are above the law. This isn't good. People will be less likely to cause trouble if they know you'll even ban your elite - that noone is above the law at your forums.
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