Susan, thanks for your continued efforts to promote civility. I think most of us prefer to discuss these things without resorting to name calling and other childish behavior.

Any power given to the government can potentially be abused. At some points in our history (like in the 50's communist witch hunts), the US government has abused its authority pretty badly. However, most of us still prefer to have a government, and we want to give our government the tools it needs to function effectively. Naturally, we must be vigilant to make sure that our government does not misuse the tools we have given it, and trample our rights in the process. But if we go to the other extreme and render our government ineffective in dealing with the numerous threats we are facing, we stand to lose our rights at the hands of others.

I guard my rights as zealously as anyone I know. I have examined the provisions of this bill, and I am comfortable that it does not, in and of itself, curtail any of my rights, or those of my fellow citizens. If there end up being problems in the implementation of the law, given the freedom we have to examine the workings of our government and communicate our concerns, I feel that we will have the ability to make the modifications that may be necessary in the future.

As long as there is appropriate Congressional and judicial oversight, I want the FBI to be on the case, looking for those who would threaten my life and way of life. Denying the FBI and other law enforcement agencies the tools they need to accomplish their mission would not be in my best interests, and would ultimately lead to a diminution of the rights I currently enjoy. I have no problem with this bill.