@jimbo & Rebel Scumb: I think that's the cool thing about fandom, that there's a variety of views and opinions about the films that exist alongside of each other out there. To me there's not really a 'right' or 'wrong' opinion on these films, life would be so terribly boring if everyone would think the same. That's why I never would want to talk George Lucas out of thinking of the OT as 'work in progress' (although I'm sad he does), the only thing I ask of him is to acknowledge that there's people out there who earn the same respect that he demands for himself.

I don't want him to change his mind and say, "Gee, now that you've whined long enough, I finally understand that the OT is better and I've now adopted your point of view and ditched the archive editions. I'll even call back the SE and scrap it, only to release solely the OT for you guys." I'd never want it that way. I want the SE and I even want to see the AE. His view on things matters to me, regardless of me agreeing with it or not. I just wish, that someday he'll respect my point of view as much as I do respect his and give us the OT on DVD and saying "I don't agree with you at all, but I respect your feelings for the OT, since your lasting passion, money and support for the OT in the beginning made all this possible after all."

Oh well, a man can dream...

@Bossk: I really like that analogy, and I think that George thinks of it more along the lines of the classic trilogy as child that is evolving. To him there is no 'OT child' and a 'SE child' (that's how we feel about it), to him the 'SE child' is the grown up 'OT child' and soon (around 2007, as far as rumors go) it'll mature into the 'AE child'. I think he feels just as passionate about just that as you described it. And that's why I think there's no way of convincing him of our way of seeing things. I think that AICN's Moriarty is right that there's almost no other way than not buying the SE DVDs to show that our feelings about it deserve as much respect as his feelings about it do. Respect is not a one way road.

Edit: Clarified a statement in the 2nd paragraph