As for the whole “desperately making excuses for why the sequels happened” thing, I think it’s something we just have to accept. The sequels were a botched attempt at recapturing the OT’s magic that just ended up feeling bleak and cynical, but they’ll always be there, and erasing them from canon would just divide the fandom further. It’s better to salvage at least something worthwhile out of those movies, rather than treating 3 installments of the main saga like the Holiday Special.
Why? Why do we have to accept it? Why would it divide the fandom further? What is wrong with dividing the fandom? Why is it better to salvage something? Why is it possible to salvage anything? Why are they “the main saga?”