So there's banter from bothe sides to the effect that "next time I see an Imperial he's dead" but yet when I murder an imperial right beside my stormcloak brethern its all "stop right there criminal scum". Really? You just said you where going to murder one next time you saw one and now I'm criminal scum. How do you guys reconcile this?

Just because you are a revolutionary, it does not mean you can commit a crime.

You can also be an imperial with Imperial Armor and they'll tell you "the next Imperial I see is dead" but do nothing about it.

I'd say that's probably true but. . .