Every time I see people speak out against the rudder... I wonder what the heck
they would do if they suddenly lost ailerons mid-flight. (what, watch it crash?)

True enough that in "some" models, all hope would be lost...
but in most of them, if you are a proficient rudder flyer, you could at least have
a "somewhat" normal landing, instead of a completely uncontrolled crash.
If you have more than a tiny bit of dihedral, you may even land it "just as well" as with ailerons.
(Saved a couple this way, myself. One that lost the ailerons, one with reversed ailerons.)

Rudder is indeed an important Primary flight control.
Like anything else, there's always such a thing as "too much of a good thing".
Still, proper rudder use is important, just as is proper use of all other aircraft controls.
No need to scare people off the rudders.
Might just as well scare them off elevators and ailerons too, for all the logic it makes.
(Misuse of any control is obviously not a "good thing")