Katie Couric's Notebook: TSA

So he probably would have liked John Tyner, the "don't touch my junk" guy, who took a stand for liberty by refusing to pass through a full-body airport scanner and resisting a thorough pat-down last week.

He's not alone. Protesters have designated this Wednesday "Opt Out day" and are urging passengers to avoid the body scan and choose pat-downs instead.

Neither one is that appealing. It's no surprise that people want less invasive scans, if they're just as effective, and clear rules on pat-downs.

But let's not lose sight of the big picture: This year, the TSA kept 130 weapons and other dangerous items off our flights -- and that's worth a bit of discomfort.

Ideally, we'll find a balance between liberty and safety that allows us to travel freely without giving up either one.

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.