It's a legitimate thing to mention as being displeased about. The very fact that it's such a hot topic demonstrates that, since it indicates that it's a subject over which smart people can disagree.

The "I don't want to start a flamewar" bit is also a reasonable addendum. It's a terse way of saying, "I don't like this feature, but, people who disagree with me, please don't get up in arms about this, you're free to like this feature if you want."

Frankly, if there's anyone trying to start a flamewar, it's not the original poster; it's people who are edging toward caping up in response to OP's (quite mild) comment.