I think it's rather unfair to expect Yoshi-P to be held accountable for every single statement that he has made over the years when FFXIV is an ongoing project that is constantly evolving and being updated.

If people feel so strongly about the issue and truly consider it to be a jarring, unforgivable act then they're free to vote with their wallet and take their leave of the game. That's exactly what I intend to do if the game ever crosses a line that I find to be unacceptable. I did as much with World of Warcraft when it moved in a direction I found to be uninteresting I stopped playing it despite years of investment.