well stated ...

There is much we don't agree on, but I generally agree with your broad points here. While I think those of us here at GC are probably a bit better than average (simply because of the qualities commonly found in early proponents of any idea), I share your concern about the fact that pedophiles probably are very similar to telios apart from sexual orientation. The us-vs-them mentality that sometimes crops up here is one example, even though there is often good reason for that.

That said, I have often been surprised at how decent average people can be, once they come to understand how their actions affect others, and our attractions force us to be more aware of that than average. Besides all this, I would simply note that giving children more autonomy is not the same as separating them from their parents. Parents tend to act protectively towards their children even after they become adults, and there is no reason to believe that most children will have to fend for themselves if they are emancipated at a younger age. In most of Europe children are emancipated at age 16, and yet these societies continue to function reasonably well.