I feel you should be concerned, but not overly so...yet. Again, what worrys me is that Laws are introduced always with the caveat that 'you have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide'. Well, to be perfectly honest all of us have something to hide although it usually would never get anywhere near a terrorist type offence. Whether it be storing the gas cylinder in the garage..now that is a no, no or looking at the wrong web page on the Net, 'sorry, dear it came up by accident', or even overstaying the 2 hours in the supermarket car park because SWMBO wanted to look at another shop in the High Street.
All perfectly innocous, unless of course someone somewhere decides to make an issue of it. It now seems to be the case that you are not innocent until proven guilty, more the case you are guilty unless you can convince us otherwise. Sometimes can be very difficult.
No, I am not being paranoid, or at least not excessively. But we are the most spied upon nation on earth. We are the most regulated, for example just look at the proliferation of raod signs everywhere. There are probably 90% more signs telling you what you cannot do, to the 10% that tell you what you can. People are terrified of speaking out of turn in case they are accused of anything from racism to sexism to whatever 'ism. You even need to sign a register to buy a gallon of paraffin these days. I used to go to machine in the garage forecourt for the stuff.
If a Policeman came to your door what would you think? Immediately I bet you wonder to yourself 'what have I done?' Yes, I did tax the car so that is not it. 'Oh Lord, the near side tyre is a bit borderline, will he/she do me for it?' It is probably all innocent but you always assume the worst.
That is not the way it should be. Ironically those who have actually committed a crime are the least bothered because they know the punishment will be very slight, if at all. It is the innocent who are punished.
The most abused words in our language these days are 'terror', 'horror' and 'abused'. They all mean a lot, but usually mean much less when analysed. We have just had 10 people arrested on terror charges and then released without charge. What does that tell you? They are going to be deported for defaulting their visas, but will appeal which will take at least 3 years and then.... probably will be given leave to stay indefintely.
Yes, it is a mad mad world, but do we need to be the maddest of them all?