Not really. The controversy here is over whether or not it would work if they needed it. Range safety is something everyone agreed with the necessity of, and there wasn't a lot of concern that it wouldn't work. (It was basically a small explosive charge sitting on the SRB and a radio control - very well understood).
The RTLS abort mode, everyone agreed was necessary (in the "no other options" sense, but as the article explains, no one can be sure it would actually work.
Range safety is a necessary evil. RTLS is doing a bootlegger turn in a very large, very fast vehicle without even a horn that can blow dixie while doing so.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/nasa/4262479