Spinning
Well I was around.
The arguements one way or the other didn't surround death or almost death at all.
A PPL student was required to demonstrate a spin entry and recognition from a spiral dive and enact the correct spin recovery but before going solo. Many pre solo students simply packed it in and refused to complete spinning. Also it has to be said many Instructors felt quite ill from spinning and would avoid doing it and leave it to others.
One school of thought considered that there was no value in the taught spin and recovery which was false in that it was aerobatic exercise and did not truly reflect the inadvertant spin resulting from poor loading (the C og G being aft of the limit) and poor handling and that a greater emphasis should be on avoidance. i.e. slow flight handling.
The other school of thought fought furiously to retain spinning. Perhaps they felt that if the student/PPL couln't hack it then there was a doubt as to whether they should be in an aeroplane at all. It was considered an invaluable handling exercise.
However a compromise was reached; Slow flight handling was introduced. mandatory Spinning was removed but full spins were retained within the syllabus as an option.