It is problematic to delete nodes that have replies. Since it's impossible to know if someone is in the middle of typing a reply to a node that is about to be deleted, there exists the potential for race conditions that could leave replies floating without parents, and thus without context.
Yes, I understand it's problematic, which is why I thought the delete feature should only apply when certain conditions are met, such as when it has not yet been responded to.
I appreciate your responding, thanks.