point 1. We are worried about them because they are children and guns are adult tools and we should be worried about what they can and can't do because we are parents.
point 2 We put arbitrary ages on things because we, as a society, don't feel children would be able to make good decisions or be mature enough to handle things appropriatly prior to that age, thats why we have arbitrary ages on driving, drinking, smoking, gambling, voting, signing legal documents, posessing and using firearms and staying alone in your home unsupervised. Are you advocating for no arbitrary age restrictions, say for example 8 year olds...6 year olds
point 3. I'd rather see an 18 year old who passed the hunter safety course with a gun in his hand than a 10 year old regardless of who is supervising or what test was passed. Having said that, I agree, you can't legislate against stupidity there are lots of stupid parents, and I would say that a 10 year old is more likely (not always but generally) to do something stupid than an 18 year old. If you are asking me to fall off the fence on that one, I'd lean towards the 18 year old.
point 4. If you are teaching your children that hunting is about killing things I think (only me personally) thats the wrong message. Having said that I realize hunting is the pursuit of game and the ultimate conclusion is that some creature is dead and I do understand how anxious a young person would be to actually shoot something.I also know that as an adult I get to decide what my kids can and can't do and just because they want to doesn't mean they get to. I would venture to say there are more than a few hunters on this site well over the age of majority who do hunt for years, never shoot anything, but keep going back out into the woods every fall.
Point 5. I have 2 children 12 and 15 who are in the woods every year and no way am I putting a gun in their hands to point at something other than the .22 at silouhettes,although the youngest one is certainly making lots of noise, it ain't gonna happen.
Point 6. I absolutely agree, times have changed and in my opinion (and only my opinion) somebody was smart enough to see that just because you are old enough to hold a gun doesn't mean you should be holding it.