This is spot on, Steve.
Three years ago, just days after the announcement of their disappearance there was an article in the Oregonian about whether or not climbers should be required to carry these things. When the families of the missing are still trying to absorb what has happened and what is being done to attempt to rescue any survivors it is always the ignorant, unsympathetic, zombie-like, media types that make the situation worse by diverting attention from what is really important.
To those who want to aggravate the situation, please find somewhere else to do it... this is not the place, and certainly not the time!