Well, here's a link to the article in question so everyone can judge for themselves:

http://www.equipped.org/plbpresentation.htm

I note the third paragraph:

"Doug Ritter is the nation's leading consumer expert on the subject of PLBs and is available to speak to your group about this extraordinary new lifesaving technology."

Sorry, but IMO this goes slightly beyond simply promoting a new life-saving technology; Doug is advertising his services as a guest speaker (which I doubt he is doing for free).

Whether this makes the web page in question a commercial use of Aron Ralston's name or not is not clear to me - probably even the lawyers are disagreeing on it. But I think it makes Doug's case weaker than he is making it out to be, and it strengthens Ralston's argument that he is not opposed to free speech in general (as you claim) but rather, to the unauthorised use of his name in what he perceives to be a commercial sales pitch.

In any event, the question will not be decided here.