It's easy to get all indignant about this kind of thing, and it certainly has to be watched to keep it under control.

But I can't help remembering all those people who were furious when police, the FBI, the CIA, and other agencies have overlooked possible clues or connections that might have helped them prevent crimes like the WTC attack, or Columbine, or any number of other atrocities. Often, it was the same people who are also bitching about the authorities intensifying their investigations.

Where do you draw the line? Should we NOT keep track of gang members? Isn't the point of obtaining a concealed gun permit, however you may feel about the necessity of them, to allow the authorities to know if you have a concealed weapon or not?

"Security vs. privacy," or even the more extreme "security vs. liberty" is not an easy balancing act. Where the line goes is also difficult to decide. My gut instinct is to err on the side of liberty. We may lose a few more people that way, but we won't lose what makes our country great. And God knows plenty of people have died already to protect our way of life. If we become a totalitarian "secure" nation, we may save lives now, but we will have wasted the lives of those who died to keep us free before.