This is a story I like very much, at a market I like very much, with an editor I like and respect very much. But their vision of the story and mine have become increasingly incompatible, and I feel strongly about this.
Withdrawing a story is troublesome on several levels. First, one of my primary rules in life is not to be a pain in the ass. This is a very pain in the ass thing to do. Second, I really don't want to get up this editor's nose. (This is a specific case of the previous issue, I suppose.) Third, it just feels unprofessional.
Thing is, it feels more unprofessional to fight about the story, and it feels most unprofessional of all to compromise on story issues about which I hold great passion.
Sometimes you don't get to be the good guy.