I think the issue that lolicon and shotacon dfenders have
is their inability to often discern and accept the reality that there are alot of people who are sick horny retards and will make porn of lolis and shotas as soon as a character of that nature is introduced.
like the whole argument of "they're just characters" and "not everyone lewds them" yeah sure, you can argue that
but completely avoiding to talk on the otherside of the issue just turns more ppl against it more and more.
I used to draw doujins when i was a teenager and such (in mid 2000s), and yes people ask for certain artworks.
But i always have a rule of no lolis or shotas cos thats a bit... weird.
it was still in the days where yaoi, futa and yuri were the rage... and NTR wasnt a thing.
and I had a classmate irl, who is really into loli characters.
Dude was obsessed with LUCKY STAR, CHOBITS, Fate Stay Night and Shugo Chara.
and later had a really unhealthy obsession with Shakugan no Shana.
I always think he went off the deep end sometime in the latter part of highschool.
TL;DR my classmate who had an obsession with loli animes end up being arrested for possessing CP 6-7 years after we graduated.
Theres better character archetypes to fantasize about rather than lolis/shotas.
I fail to understand why so many would fight tooth and nail to defend lolis/shotas.