SOS/TD&H:
I agree fully that the pilot-in-command is the only person authorized to decide how critical an emergency is. Once an emergency has been declared, ATC has a moral and legal duty to render all possible assistance, not to be ostructionist.
Remember the old chesnut: "What is the similarity between air traffic controllers and pilots? If a pilot screws up, the pilot dies. If ATC screws up, the pilot dies."
"Controllers" don't control anything, except a radio microphone.
But let's not be too hard on old niknak: the last sentence of his post suggests that he is just reporting what most (all?) controllers would do, not attempting to justify it.