We will commemorate the 6th year anniversary of the 9/11 attack on Tuesday.

What have we learned from that catastrophe or maybe more importantly how have we changed since that "day of infamy."

These are important questions for each one of us to consider. The worst-case scenario in ethics is not to ask the questions at all.

We each will have different answers. I have learned that good can come from what was absolute evil. While the attack of innocent lives was reason to despair of humanity the spontaneous generosity and sympathy I witnessed at that time, as a Red Cross volunteer, give me hope.

While we are remembering the victims and their families and more or less aware that another attack could happen, the debate over the issue of liberty and privacy versus security is intense.

How much of our liberty are we willing to relinquish in exchange for our security? Where do we draw the line between giving the government all the information it needs (or wants) and defending our constitutional right to privacy?

This issue has always been a challenge for countries at war and we are at war.

Any extreme position on these issues is dangerous.

To prevent the government access to necessary information will facilitate another attack. The conclusion of the many studies and commissions on 9/11 were clear. The government failed in its gathering, sharing and interpreting of intelligence (information) and thus could not have prevented the attack.

However to relinquish our rights of privacy can be a threat to our liberty and democracy. Any government whose power is unchecked will create a police state none of us would want to live in.

I believe the answer is vigilance as public and private citizens. Vigilance in protecting both our democracy and freedom as well as in protecting our country against attacks.

As the author Pearl Buck once said:

"When good people in any country cease their vigilance and struggle, then evil men prevail."