It appears to me the posts are more about old grudges ,and posters who just like to stir things, rather than opinions on the letter and the article.
Some people seem to like and try and settle old scores without a thought about the people who have been drawn in to this , and whether a few posts and messages are justification for having their names ( directly or indirectly ) splashed across a newspaper and associated with what is after all a very serious criminal act of making a death threat.
I don't think it should be used for an excuse to stir up old arguments.