At the risk of displaying my ignorance and destroying any credibility i might have had within this august body, I will offer up an opinion. Mntnman hit on what I believe to be a very solid point, that being that are a good many lethal items that young folks use on a daily basis that we give little notice to. Back in days gone by, young folks were exposed to firearms at a tender age and experienced in their use for the real purpose of hunting and self defense. They knew the value, purpose and consequences associated with this very valuable tool. As the families moved to town and acquired work away from the fields and woods, the young folks were less exposed/required to know about firearms, and lost the knowledge and responsibility for their use. Since we don't have the early experience of yore, we feel the necessity to establish some criteria, such as training and age level, to establish a benchmark for maturity. Fire at will!!!