TSA agent inspects traveler's computer (Creative Commons)

TSA employees can now expect many of the fringe benefits once reserved only to spouses. You go through a scanner and they get to see you nearly naked. If you don’t want to be seen that way, they give you an “enhanced pat-down.” Your baggage goes through a scanner, and they get to see your personal belongings. If there is something funny in there, they even get to rummage through your stuff.

All of these are privileges usually reserved for people whom you chose to sleep with.

But why do we put up with it? According to reports, many believe these checks have gone too far. But throwing degrees aside and looking at this in terms of essentials, why do we submit to these searches when we would rather just saunter onto our flying machines and travel the world with ease?

Of course it is the threat of terrorism.

But why are these terrorists still a threat? Why must we fight them with long lines and unwanted sexual encounters at the airport?

In World War II did we wage war on Japan and ignore the Nazis since they never aggressed against us? Of course not, we recognized them as part of the same threat. Today we fail to make a more obvious conclusion.

We were attacked by a group of militants fighting for Islamic Totalitarianism. Iran, being a country that follows this ideology quite well, not only supports other groups like Al-Qaeda, but also has spent decades fighting and threatening us on its own. Just like Germany in World War II, Iran contains some peaceful people, but continues to threaten the United States.

After this continuous one-sided war, we are still urged not to seek retaliation by people who lump both irrational racism and rational self-preservation into one concept known as “Islamophobia”.

Because we believe that our goal in life is service to others, we no longer believe in the right to our own self defense. Our war efforts are thwarted by a huge overemphasis on avoiding civilian casualties. Iran remains a threat. Our enemies remain powerful in the two countries we have invaded. Since we fail to punish our enemies, we must punish ourselves instead.

Instead of being able to relax at the airport again we are now subject to virtual strip searches and pat downs.

The right to self defense is a moral absolute. We must defend ourselves no matter how many innocent people our enemies hide behind. The alternative is death.

As of yet, Islamic Totalitarianism poses no threat to the existence of the United States as a whole. I’m sure that was no comfort to the thousands of people trapped in burning buildings during 9/11. Ultimately, countries don’t matter. You do.

You should not be okay with making even the slightest sacrifice, not a moment’s delay in your schedule or the slightest compromise of your safety for the sake of people trying to kill you.

Identify your enemies and have the moral confidence to say that you have the right to make war against them, otherwise, be prepared to make “love” to the obese ranks of the TSA.

James Ellias is a Physics major and the president of USC's Objectivist Club.