mtdoc,
If I could provide a list of instances where the plans of a terror suspect have been stopped mere days before an attack happened or the number of times people involved in child sex rings have been arrested and abuse of victims have been prevented, I'm pretty sure you or any normal person would have been supportive.
If you think that employees within Police and Intelligence organisations just sit there at a terminal, looking up random people willy-nilly for their own pleasure, then you are even more out-of-touch than those who know nothing about this kind of thing at all. Sure, there have been cases where some individuals have stepped outside the boundaries and have in some cases even acted corruptly in a serious way, but those cases are few and far between. The higher the level of access you have, the more you are watched and the more your accesses are scrutinised, and not just scrutinised by direct supervisors working for the same organisation, but external agencies whose job it is to go after people who abuse their authority. Let me tell you, those organisations who "Police the Police" are ruthless and would sooner book their own mother, than let a corrupt person off the hook. Every time someone corrupt gets caught, the level of scrutiny goes up and more checks are put into place (and rightly so).
Also, to even insinuate that I have illegally violated anyone's privacy or acted immorally is not only insulting and inaccurate, but is bordering on a personal attack and that's just not acceptable. I haven't quoted you in my reply on purpose, to give you the opportunity to re-consider your words and make an amendment.
As I have previously pointed out, this is one of those arguments where no one wins, the thread ends up getting locked and everyone is left with their original stance. That is all I'll say on the matter.