I am a Hindu woman with a crew cut, so yes I have a red dot
and a flat top
...
But seriously folks...
The only upper I have without a flattop is my preban HBAR Target. Yeah, I love shooting iron sights and I have BUIS' on all my ARs (well, not the one with the Elcan, but that's a PITA to work out and the thing is tougher than the rifle it's mounted too).
But... I just really dig modern battle optics. The sleek lines and lethal functionality of a TA-01 NSN or the squat tube of a Comp M just enhance what would normally be just another semi-auto rifle into a high speed, precision guided weapon. You still have to master your firing mechanics; grip, trigger, breathing, lead, etc. But you can hit faster and with better effect with enhanced sights.
Last fall I held my annual 'Shooting Safari' at my favorite range. This is where I take a group of my friends who like to shoot guns but don't own any or have maybe one deer rifle out to try out the previous year's additions to my collection. The folks really can't hit squat with conventional sights, they just make a lot of noise and like to see the dust fly up. But I brought out the Elcan, the ACOG and the Comp M and they were busting party balloons at 100 and 200 meters like crazy.
I say go flat and go with an Aimpoint or Eotech. Get, and practice using, a good BUIS (I like Swan Sleeves, they have the ARMS 40 built in and protect your rail). Work on all your shooting mechanics, dry fire all the time, do breathing drills. But master that little red dot and you will see what all the fuss is about.