Being forced to wear a seat belt or a helmet does relate to "freedom", by contrast, but since they both have the general public's welfare in mind we put up with that kind of thing.
But it is surprising to me (and most non-Americans I suspect) that listening in on phone calls and watching internet traffic and intercepting bank movements (SWIFT) and looking over library or video store records etc is deemd acceptable by the residents of the "land of the free".

I deem it acceptable for a free nation that was attacked, in a manner like 9/11, to take necessary measures to prevent it in the future. What the hell is the government supposed to do, just sit back on it's hands and allow terrorists and terrorist sympathizers to use resources in this country against us???? If they did, people would be screaming their heads off about the government doing nothing.

It's too bad that it's difficult to the Nth degree to quantify how much the total security measures over the last five years have headed off additional potential acts of terrorism and violence, because I'm sure it has.

Kevin