I realise the non Anamorphic release isn't the best he could have done. To him the SE version was the best he could do.
Obviousy not everyone thinks the new changes were for the better, and legitimately prefer the original verisons. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, and I do hope that all SW fans can enjoy as much or as little of the saga as they want to, in the format they prefer.
I just also understand where Lucas is coming from.
I don't think it's about disrespecting the people who don't agree with him as much as he is respecting his own vision for it with a determined passion.
Nobody could talk him out of making SW in the first place, and a lot of people thought he was crazy to do it in the first place. Why would he suddenly come to the conclusion that his detractors are right now? I think it is a bit selfish to not give a crap about the people who prefer the originals, but I honesty don't see many of those people giving a crap about what he wants either.
I know some of you have no problem with his changes as long as the original is provided along side of it, but by and large there is a lot of crap being flung in Lucas general direction over all of this.
While I can relate to the hard feelings over his suppression of the O-OT and now his lackluster presentation of the O-OT, I think that there is a lot of disrespect given to him beyond that, putting down his artistic vision to the point where you might get the idea that SW was great despite Lucas.
I'm not pointing fingers here, but surely you have to admit there have been a lot of insults sent his way.
The worst he did was not produce the versions everyone wanted to have on DVD. You don't see him putting down all the ways we might have done it differently. He doesn't say that the people who disagree with him are not artistically competant. The way I see it, he is stubborn about his vision, but gracious about the diversity of opinions out there.