@silentscreamer sent me a dm regarding this post, and after a short conversation she summed it up so perfectly it made me smile.

Acting against someone in a civilized way may get you haters, but it can gain you respect as well. But acting out against someone in the way he did makes you a fool and hurts the position of anyone that might fight for the same cause. You become a "go to person" when your opposition wants to attack the credibility of their opposition.

The "he" she is referring to is the main person that inspired me to write this.