It seems that OP_RETURN is working as a good spam filter, and I'm not convinced that it should be removed. I can see how removing OP_RETURN will contribute to the bloating of the Bitcoin network's size over time, making it more challenging for a large number of people to run a node. The more people who can run a node, the healthier the Bitcoin network will be.
Folks, running Bitcoin Core already requires more than 600 GB of storage space! That's a huge amount, and it will prevent many people from getting involved to help protect Bitcoin decentralization.
EXACTLY!! Very well said! They want the network to be decentralized, but they are doing everything they can to ensure that only a few can run a full Bitcoin node.