To the editor:

So the government can listen to my phone calls? So the government can look at my library records? So what?

Islamic terrorists have carried out over 3,800 deadly terrorist attacks since Sept. 11, 2001, but none have been on U.S. soil. Before the Patriot Act, companies were poring over your medical records, purchasing history, Internet habits and more, without any outcry from civil libertarians. For some reason, people think it’s OK to use this data for commercial purposes, but not for security.

If the government conducts a secret search of my house, I’ll never notice, but I’ll certainly notice if a terrorist kills a family member. How many private phone calls is a human life worth? How many Americans should die so my library records can be kept secret?

John Murray,

Lawrence