The government does not have the right to do as they wish. Again, this is where the line is drawn! Just because people are governmental officials does not give them the power to do whatever they feel like it. If our privacy is intruded against the law, then we have the right to sue. The use of the Patriot Act to keep America safe is not just "their call," it is also the citizens call. There wouldn't be any representatives if we didn't choose them to be there to protect us. If those that WE employ are betraying us, then they are becoming criminals and last time anyone checed, that is STILL illegal. Also, we didn't agree to our privacy being invaded (refering to your statement "We as Americans had agreed to this when the U.S. Constitution was signed ...). In fact, the U.S. Constitution gives us rights such as the fourth amendment which states that there cannot be an unreasonable search. All of these laws are in place to protect us, but if the government is in fact using them to their advantage just so they can collect millions of data on innocent people, (for no reason at all), then we need to recheck our priorities as a country.