Your choice to down vote actually reflects more on you than it does on the person you are down voting. If you use it irresponsibly, that is, simply because you don't like the opinion expressed in the post, it does not mean that the person you have down voted will also use it irresponsibly - that is, retaliate. Down voting should never be used as described in the article above - which is basically as a way of silencing views that you don't feel 'fit in'. And, no, I have not down voted the post, because I refuse to use a down vote except to flag child porn or animal cruelty - that is the purpose of a down vote.