At the end of the day, it's not about artistic freedom, Han shooting first, CGI, or even the fans. The one responsibility that George Lucas has in releasing the Original Versions is to film history itself. Decades from now, when all of us rabid fans are old or dead or just don't care anymore, the real tragedy will be that between 1977 and 1983, three science fiction films effectively changed the face of filmmaking for an entire generation and no one will be able to point to a clean print of what those films really looked like.
Star Wars is bigger than George Lucas now. It's even bigger than the fans. Has been for some time. The real losers in all of this are the future generations of film lovers, film students and filmmakers who will have lost the original versions of an important piece of their heritage.
That is why we must not give up just because these new DVD's are being released this Tuesday. We who believe in these films must become louder now more than ever, before it's too late.
To read my further thoughts, check for my soon-coming article at http://www.geocities.com/reeladvice.