Feeling Secure vs. Being Secure

An interesting commentary by Bruce Schneier at Wired about the thought processes that surround decision-making about security. Essentially, he argues that the greater the access to information, the more effective our decisionmaking can be related to security. He also draws the distinction between programs that help us "feel" secure rather than make us actually secure.

By analogy, this concept is applicable to legislative decisions related to privacy and the 4th amendment. The NYC subway bag search policy springs to mind. (see NYTimes article from 2005, and MacWade v. Kelly, 460 F.3d 260 (2d Cir. August 11, 2006).

On a personal note, I know the plaintiff in the MacWade case. He's the brother of a longtime friend. Brendan was in the WTC on 9/11 and I remember talking to his parents that morning when they still hadn't heard from him. He's my hero for being a plaintiff in that challenge to the constitutionality of the NYC bag searches.. even if the program was upheld under the "special needs" exception to the 4th amendment.