Age of consent laws in the US could be better. I would even generalize that they should probably be younger. I don't think it's fair or even effective for pedophilia laws to be applied in clearly non-child cases. Why is lowering the age of consent a forbidden or even controversial topic?
I am surprised to hear that view from you. You always seem to have a reasonable take on complex subjects, so I'd like to hear you opinion about why the age of consent should be less than X (18 in most places, I think).
My view is that the age of consent should be at 18 for all involved parties if one of the party is over 18. Too many kids (under 18) don't have the mental fortitude/awareness to realize they are being used/groomed by someone much older. For instance, a 26-year old man has a much better grasp on life, and is much better at manipulation, than a 16 year old girl. Generalizing here.
If all parties are under 18, such as high school students who are dating, then I'd be comfortable lowering the age of consent to 16 or 15, but I would never go lower than that.