Granted, dlleno, I should have said "my experience," rather than "the facts." That said, the concern I see here about the screen being ripped off while chasing a moose in heavy brush or taken out by an errant elbow in a crowd (I've used my T3i in both situations) fails to recognize that in those instances you can merely flip the screen back on itself and fold it into the camera body so that it looks and behaves exactly like the fixed screen on a 7D or 5D.
In short, flip-screens add moving parts, are less weatherproof, and when protruded can increase the possibility of damage. But, the design is well engineered and has survived the test-of-time, at least in my experience. I've never had to send my T3i in for repair. I've never had a weather-related issue, although I am careful about using shower caps and such to keep things dry. And the protrusion issue is easily solved by flipping the screen around and folding it into the body. Hence, there is much utility and convenience to be gained by the flip for self-timers, low-angle macro, high-angle crowd shots, and even the occasional hold-the-camera-out-on-the-end-of-the-tripod-and-shoot-with-a-wireless-remote shots.
I'm not suggesting that the flip-screen doesn't have downsides, just that they're overblown. Or more simply, I find the pros well outweigh the cons. That's why I am hoping that the 7DII, with all of its hoped for improvements, includes a flip-screen.