I think the Boomer generation is the main factor in the erosion of America’s exceptionalism and the beginning of its descent in this millennium. Self-absorbed and secular, my contemporaries undermined the values that historically differentiated us from other nations, both historically and in the world in which we presently live. Over time we compromised our liberty in order to try to obtain greater security on a broad range of topics. Such a trade-off often leads to a reduction in both liberty and security. We wish to be more compassionate, but instead we subjugate ourselves to the frailties of human imperfection.