The problem in finding balance with security measures is that no one really knows if any of the current programs, laws, and actions are actually preventing any attacks. I tend to believe that the US foreign intelligence services have their hands full dealing with problems in other countries and have very little time or reason to waste resources on the domestic side of things. Their attempts to automate and electronically compile data to detect security threats has been a failure and that is most likely why no one is really that upset with stopping programs such as the metadata collection effort. The only ones making a big deal over the issue is the feckless politicians looking to score points "fighting for homeland security" or "fighting for privacy rights". The problem the US faces is that the NSA, CIA, FBI, DIA, and all the other law enforcement and security agencies still do not play well with one another. Each agency has their own programs and priorities that sometimes overlap but each agency still guard their turf a little too much. The government attempts to correct this has resulted in jurisdiction issues and possible 4th Amendment violations when one agency collects information under one set of evidentiary rules and then shares that information with another agency who did not meet the evidentiary requirements to legally possess the information and then used it to prosecute a crime.