Balancing Liberty and Security

Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Debra Burlingame points out the almost incomprehensible stupidity both of thwarting the Patriot Act and of allowing ephemeral fears about NSA spying to interfere with the protection of American lives.

Here's a taste:

The mantra of civil-liberties hard-liners is to "question authority"--even when it is coming to our rescue--then blame that same authority when, hamstrung by civil liberties laws, it fails to save us.

Fair enough.