Alright, ncmark...
Fair enough. Your question was, "Should we require children to wear helmets, via a law, and why?" Not a direct quote, but in the interest of expedience I paraphrased.
The answers are/were yes and because a child is not wise enough, or well-informed enough, to make intelligent decisions about such things. They are also not autonomous. They do not live in a democracy. Their lives are dictated and they go where they are told, and they travel how they are told. It is for this reason that the laws should be in place.
Oozing? You bet your chair-sitter I am. Sorry if you find me intimidating.
"Never anger a dragon, for thou art crunchy and go well with brie."
Viv