Thanks for jumping into the conversation @liquidtravel. I agree that flagging wars have created a lot of issues here on Steemit and it makes me sad to see good people targeted in these wars. That's why I wanted to make this post. To remind everyone that flagging isn't always negative and there have been positive effects on the community - even if we don't think about it very often. We reap the benefits of fewer trolls here on Steemit without always thinking about why that is.
Thanks again for your thoughtful response!