"I wouldn't deny that ALA seems to be a very important substance in the body. I'm glad that it's part of a good chelation protocol "
I hope you aren't confusing ALA for chelation(alpha lipoic acid) with ALA omega 3(alpha linolenic acid).
"I think the best rule of thumb to have is always what nature intended, and therefore what foods we have been eating"
The articles I mentioned don't say to avoid fish oils, but instead to get fish oils by eating fish, and use flaxseed oil as an oil supplement. Since we are mercury toxic, it is important for us to focus on fatty fish that are low in mercury. This includes sardines, salmon, and herring. Stay away from swordfish and mackeral. It is also a good idea to avoid tuna, but if you must eat tuna then choose the chunk light rather than the solid white, as the chunk light typically has around 1/3 the mercury of the solid white.
Some of the articles I mentioned are also concercerned about possible toxins in the fish oils and the possiblity of those oils being rancid. I guess the greatest concern is for fish oil capsules, as they typically aren't even kept refrigerated.
"I'm not going to sit here and say I'm right and everyone else is wrong, end of story, but I wouldn't mind seeing specifically what the doctors or studies are saying to support this."
You can read Dr. Rudin's comments or read his entire book on the subject. Also read comments by Dr. Joanna Budwig.
"For example, 44 people with a variety of health problems were involved in a long-term study involving flaxseed oil in the early 1980's. The researcher, Dr. Donald Rudin, wanted to test flaxseed oil's effects on different diseases. Dr. Rudin found that while on flaxseed oil, one subject's high blood pressure disappeared completely, while several others were able to drastically reduce the amount of their medications. Interestingly, those patients with low blood pressure also had normal readings after taking flaxseed oil. Virtually everyone felt less anxious, and the dozen or so patients with severe mental illness showed great improvement as well. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis reported that their symptoms were less severe while on flaxseed oil, as did those with food allergies and joint problems. Other health conditions reported by the subjects and helped with flaxseed oil included migraine headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, urinary tract infections, and menopausal problems. Dr. Rudin's work was especially remarkable because it covered such a wide range of health conditions, and also because nearly all of his 44 patients showed vast improvement while supplementing with flaxseed oil." ........................
"Flaxseed oil also rich in lignans
Flaxseed is not only rich in essential fatty acids, but it also contains more lignans than any other plant on Earth. Lignans are technically known as phytochemicals and are found in the cell matrix of plants. Flaxseed contains anywhere from 100 to 800 times the lignans found in other foods. Lignans are like essential fatty acids in that their presence can greatly improve our health. Lignans have been found to have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, and recently studies are focusing on lignans' role in preventing different types of cancer including breast cancer"
http://www.budwigflax.com/Articles/Fabulous%20Facts.htmhttp://www.nutrition4health.org/NOHAnews/NNW91FlaxseedNeglectedFood.htm 
