I think it's a good example of the culture. You are absolutely correct that it wouldn't have/didn't change anyone's mind or derailed the witch hunt, but it's an excellent example of how the hive mind works. There are many subs where even expressing a contrary opinion or raising the "wrong" question results in massive downvotes, and in some cases, mod bans. While it may come from a minority of site users, it's a very active minority in those particular subs.