It's more likely to be the latter if you dismiss the necessity of having the tools to expose, capture, and/or kill those who want to destroy this nation.
You can scoff at "fearmongers" all you like, Newbie, but the FACT remains that this law/act has saved our collective butts for 4 years now.
"but the FACT remains that this law/act has saved our collective butts for 4 years now."
The fact? Do you have any proof that the unpatroitic act has done anything more than serve to give big-brother government even more power?