When Dickey Betts got the boot from the Allman Brothers, everyone (on the outside) was shocked and horrified, and way on dickey's side. Except that things were awful on tour because of him, and if they hadn't kicked him out, they probably would have stopped touring. After being around that, I'm not going to judge a band for not wanting every surviving member around just because they're not dead from their vices yet.
And Geezer's letter seems perfectly reasonable to me.