DuckDuckGo recommends non-free software to me all the time in its little ads.
I ignore them, of course, but I still use it, because it's the best available
tool for the job (general search with some privacy).
I'm a big boy. I know the risks and responsibilities of enabling a nonfree
repo, and I'll do so with caution. I think Stallman's point about distros is
aimed at the clueless masses, and it's a good point, in their regard.
So to return to the point: I feel marginally more free using Debian than I
would running a son of Mark distro, so that's the way I'm leaning as I
explore.