By Patrick Walsh, Senior Staff Columnist

One of our city’s finest made headlines across America last week. John Tyner, 31, of Oceanside was ejected from San Diego International Airport after refusing to participate in the newly deployed full-body scanners.  Tyner recorded the 30-minute confrontation, then went and posted it all on his blog as soon as he got home.

I hope Tyner enjoyed his 30 minutes of fame after mocking the Transportation Security Administration workers at our airport. He accused them of trying to sexually assault him when they asked if they could give the all-too-familiar yet completely mundane pat-down many of us have encountered at the airport. The “violated and sexually assaulted” Tyner was all smiles just outside the airport where he met reporters with a mocking tone.  TSA agents remained calm, polite and poised as Tyner had his fun.

While Tyner was throwing his fit, several TSA, airport security and San Diego police officers had to come to the scene to settle him down and escort him out.

Tyner’s ploy was absurd, especially when considering three Somali men living in San Diego — a popular Imam at a City Heights mosque, a cab driver and a former Somali community leader — were arrested earlier this month for plotting murder in a foreign country and sending money and material support to al-Shabbab, Al Qaeda’s terrorist network in Somalia. Al-Shabbab was responsible for the failed underwear bomber last Christmas and the failed package bombs in our airplanes a few weeks ago.

I’m a tad pissed off when wackos such as Tyner complain that their rights are being stripped  away and their privacy is being invaded by the government.

They have a sound argument when it comes to warrantless wire taps and e-mail hacking by the government, but to deny participating in a mechanism that is put in place solely to provide security for themselves and fellow passengers while we are marred by constant threats on our airlines constantly is absurd.

I have seen what the images look like when you go through one of the full-body scanners. Trust me, nothing is revealing.  The last thing TSA agents care about is seeing an X-ray image of thousands of people every day.

If you’re worried about the government exposing you to harmful radiation in order to get a peak at a blurred, florescent, skeletal-like image of your naked self, you need not worry.  The scanning machines have been individually evaluated by The Food and Drug Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology and The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

The weapons and other dangerous materials uncovered by the scanners since they have been put in place solidify the need for them. Now, we don’t have to rely on a teenage Muslim radical not being able to light his underwear on fire properly as an airliner approaches downtown Detroit.

As Americans in the 21st century we face real-life threats by an ever-evolving, determined enemy. In this War on Terror, the vast majority of our country has been asked to sacrifice little; with a small few of us carrying a massive burden. One thing our government has always asked of us during this time is our cooperation, and our vigilance to be a lookout for threats. We can make this small sacrifice to go through the annoying procedures. I have been on a flight leaving the Czech Republic where their security is a joke. On my flight, a mentally disturbed man pulled out two hunting knives, a can of butane and a pack of matches. Thankfully the flight attendants on the British Airways flight were able to calm him down and convince him to put his things away and that he wasn’t in trouble. That changed quickly when we landed in London and Her Majesty’s SWAT Team charged our plane. I later found out the man was attempting to connect on a flight to New York City. At that moment I realized America’s tireless security measures are essential.

For our cooperation, our government has more than done its part. In addition to striving for our security they have bent backwards to accommodate those of us who are uncomfortable with the new scanners. There is a special room where you can be scanned privately so others can’t see what you look like. You are allowed to bring a companion with you to chaperone the process. Or you may opt out of the scanners and walk through the standard metal detectors with a mandatory pat-down. All these options were available to Tyner.

This holiday season, let’s think about our safety and those of our fellow passengers when we get irritated by America’s extensive airport security while on our travels home.

—Patrick Walsh is a political science senior.

—The views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.