Defend Yourself!

There is a common misunderstanding about the difference between defensiveness and defense.

Defensiveness is an excessive sensitivity to criticism.  It induces irrational and frantic behavior, fear, and an inability to respond appropriately to legitimate needs.  Defensiveness causes frustration, aggression, anger, and a feeling of helplessness.

Defense is an appropriate response to an attack.  Defense is any method which can be used to repel an aggressor and prevent injury or loss.

As an example of the difference between defensiveness and defense:  An American infantry squad is in battle in a third world country.  The enemy vastly outnumbers the American soldiers, but the Americans outclass the enemy in every way, in skill, in technology, and in knowledge.  The enemy knows this.  They know nothing about defense; their only strategy is to attack.  But they attack out of fear and defensiveness.  At every sound, at even the slightest glimpse of an American, the enemy soldier will empty an entire clip, spraying the jungle or desert in all directions with bullets from his machine gun.  The American, on the other hand, patiently waits, his automatic rifle set on single fire, confident in his ability to respond to the attack.  When the enemy comes into view...  Bang!  An enemy falls.  Bang!  An enemy falls.  No panic, no wasted resources, no frustration, no anger – and an ability to function normally in any other context or situation.

Right now, the Democrats are in full blown, frantic, insane, defensiveness.  They have no other strategy but attack.  Republicans have been hesitant to defend themselves from these irrational attacks for fear of appearing to act the same way.  This campaign started out with eight powerful candidates, any one of which would have probably made an acceptable president.  Every time one would appear to edge ahead, he would be attacked so violently that he would drop out.  None of them had an effective defense.

We are down to our last candidate.  Whether or not he is the best is irrelevant.  He is quite acceptable, and, based on his background, he might be exactly what the country needs at the moment. He must be defended – not with frantic defensiveness, but with calm, competent precision.

We must respond to panic with competence.

We must respond to ignorance with knowledge.

We must respond to lies with facts.

We must respond to hate and intolerance with love and tolerance.

We must respond to racist bigotry disguised as affirmative action.  Genuine racial equality is manifested by greater diversity in higher positions of leadership based on competence and acceptance rather than quotas and mandates.

Our country and all that we hold dear is under attack.  We must defend.