I'm with you.  I am much more comfortable with parents being in charge although I'll admit there are a bunch of bad parents. 

 Bad people are used as an excuse to extend the power of the state nearly every time. IDGAF about what someone else does since that should never have any bearing on how I am treated as an individual human. 🙄 

 Also, parents know their kids.  What is appropriate varies a lot by kid.  My eldest is mature and trustworthy early.  My youngest is immature and needs to be so much older.  There is at least a decade difference in when they are mature enough for most things. 

 Agree. But not every parent is capable, and the kid has to suffer because of that.
I just have to look at how much sweets and sugar the kids in the Kindergarten of my daughter eat.  They are 3 to 6 years old and eat mostly cookies and chocolate.
People are stupid unfortunately.
I’m in favour of certain protections.
Not all laws are bad ;) 

 I disagree, but, that's really my idealism peaking through. 

These are the kinds of issues that sort themselves out in a few generations. And, well, we're seeing that now.  

 Government is gonna Government.

Just because parents aren't capable doesn't mean the rest of the community has to have imposed rules placating to the lowest denominator

Not everyone is meant to be Married, not everyone is meant to be a Parent. Work on being Virtuous, Praise God.