Honestly, I'm not really sure I see the problem here.
No, it's not that I think people shouldn't post if they have an unpopular opinion...it's that I think, if you're not expressing something simply because you're worried about how others will respond to it, it's no one's fault but your own. Don't take offense to this - we all do it, and not just on forums - but we'd all do well to recognize that the problem isn't so much with others as it is with ourselves. I self-censor in life all the time in anticipation of what the reaction may be, but that is no one's fault but my own. I do it out of choice. It's a fact of life when dealing with other human beings: a cost-benefit analysis where we must weigh the benefits of expressing our opinion with the cost of dealing with the fact others may disagree.
Now, there are mods here to enforce civility if it gets out of hand, and if someone is rude to you - or another poster - please report the post. (You can do this by clicking the alert icon (
) on the offending post.) That said, the freedom to express your opinion is not synonymous with the freedom from criticism for that opinion. Just as you are generally free to express your opinion on this forum, everyone else is equally free to tell you they disagree. Personally, I have no interest in that changing. The day when we say "uh-oh, too many people are speaking out against this opinion, better stop that" is the day I'll stop being a mod here.
In short, help us maintain civility by reporting posts that violate the rules and are insulting or attack another poster. If you are responding to something you disagree with, please do so respectfully. Sometimes it's a good idea to step away for a bit and let yourself cool off before responding. Beyond that, you shouldn't expect much else. No one deserves the freedom from being told their opinion is unpopular (and this goes for regular users and mods alike). So please post your opinions freely, but be prepared to deal with the fact other people may disagree en masse. It's a fact of life.