I do not at all share your idea of the state and parents having a vested interest in controlling children and not giving up their power. Arguing about that world view would obviously be far-reaching and lengthy.

Parents and the state care deeply for children and are generally motivated by a desire to do what's best for them -- as they understand it. There are things that could be improved in relations between adults and children and the state, but I don't see any fundamental overhaul as a good idea.

curiosity for sexual play clearly denotes a type of sexual interest, even if admittedly of a lesser intensity than adolescent and adult sexuality

This seems to be in dispute by many of your fellow GC denizens. Glad you acknowledge significant attitudinal shifts due to puberty (on average).

There is a huge difference between choosing to wait a few years, or however long, for sexual activity than being legally mandated to wait.

Indeed. Surely you know that I and other liberals do not favor that restriction because we're prudish or want to punish kids. We believe it protects a great many kids from unwanted sexual activity, at the cost of inconveniencing a few who would really like to engage in sexual activity with adults (and I would punish only the man, not the girl, and then only if the girl freely decides she wants him to be punished...). The law is necessarily full of trade-offs of that kind.


by definition a rapist cares nothing for the law

Many rapists may care a great deal about the chances are that they will get caught and punished.


The world is in fact full of men (pedophile or not) with much sleazier intentions leading to more sordid realities.
Believing that such individuals hide behind every street corner, or reside in at least one house on any given neighborhood block, is the foundation of the current moral panic, and produces much hysteria that justifies a huge array of draconian laws.

Hysteria is a problem, so I will say my words were ill-chosen and I will modify them: Compared to the number of pedophiles with girls who mutually desire sexual activity, the number of men who would involve children in activities they do not want or will regret later is much greater. No, they are not hiding behind every bush, and parents are far too worried about them, especially as regards strangers. But in the relevant trade-off/comparison, they are much more common.

We believe legally empowered and well educated youths are fully capable of identifying and avoiding--as well as even effectively opposing--such individuals in their midst.

This seems hopelessly idealistic on the one hand, and irrelevant on the other. Educating kids better is a great idea, as is increasing their confidence. But "legal empowerment" has virtually nothing to do with it.

The law can't tell them apart, so it has a strong motivation to prohibit all.
And again, willfully using legal force against innocent people to make certain that the guilty get indicted

You misunderstand me on one key point. Adult-child sexual activity is a crime and ought to be, even if the girl consented. So I am not suggesting the legal travesty of punishing innocent people. I suggest forgiveness for most people who transgress with truly willing and informed partners. Yes, the forgiveness can fail if you commit your crime with a vindictive girl. But that is a necessary cost for preventing a great many genuine, indisputable rapes.