I’m not sure there should be one, so I might go further than either John J. Miller or George Will do today in suggesting its lowering. But I’m a little skeptical of one argument for lowering or abolishing the age limit: namely, that it “encourages disrespect for the law.” People make this argument about all kinds of rarely or very-imperfectly enforced laws, and I’ve made it in the past too. But what does it mean? Do we believe that 18- to 20-year-olds who drink start breaking other laws too? Is there any evidence that the law has that kind of effect? It seems to me that mature people distinguish between laws that are, so to speak, meant seriously and truly important and those that aren’t, and there’s nothing especially worrisome about the fact.