No one is negating, we're all just expressing views. As I asked in another reply, if I downvote and then someone upvotes after me, are they negating my downvote (or my opinion)? I don't think so.
Perhaps it would help to understand (if you don't already; I'm not sure) that upvotes and downvotes/flags are equal and opposite. If two people with the same SP vote on a post, one up and one down, the effect is to not change the reward at all. We're all entitled to our views on what is the best approach to use our own vote power.
I agree that the flag icon is bad and misleading. I'd love to see it put back to having symmetric up and downvote buttons, since that's how the system actually works.
I understand, I just feel, that there should be a downvote button that doesn't negate rewards, and is simply there to show people that their content isn't valued the same by every one. Although upvotes/flags are equal to one and other, they're not seen in the same respect. One is negative and one is positive. Any negative act you take upon someone, even out of kindness, can be considered violent. When you're negating someone's rewards, then it's evidently violent.
Not to sound condescending, but do you understand how people powerless to tip the scales, might feel in that situation?
Putting so much emphazis on "feeling" as if though it was a thought, in general makes me less inclined to read comments. However I do see what you mean by doesn't "negate" and perhaps that could be one use of the downvote. On the other hand, I might suggest it should be the other way around.
Maybe the downvote should adjust payout as is done today, but the flag should have no monetary value attached to it.
That way, payments could be adjusted with regular votes and the flag could be kept as a separate mechanism (just to show if someone thought it was simple spam/harrasment) as there would not be the same incentive to flag simply in order to bring down the payments of others.