BG: You weren’t asleep at the switch. Unfortunately, the gubment is possessed of extra-judicial capabilities that, in essence, negate and/or nullify your 4th and 6th Amendment rights.
Do a little light reading on FISA Courts, along with Patriot I/II, AUMF and NDAA. If Uncle Sugar determines (using extremely loose criteria in many cases) that you are a threat to this great republic, then his little minions can detain, imprison, wiretap, surveil your happy ass to their heart’s content. And there really isn’t shit you can do about it.
Of course, if the gubment didn’t have these capabilities, well, then the terrorists would win. And we can’t have that.