Gentle Reader,
As I opened the steel gates and entered the area where the dairy goats reside, the buck decided to challenge me. He did that odd thing bucks do; he reared up high, standing almost straight upright, then came down on his front feet in a feint, as though he was going to butt me.
Now, I could have dropped to my knees and begged him not to hurt me, but, if I had done that, he would have immediately proceeded to wipe the floor with me. Instead of being conciliatory, I yelled at him, jumped toward him, and told him in no uncertain terms what I would do to him if he so much as tried to attack me. Though he is faster than I, stronger than I, and outweighs me by a lot of pounds of hefty muscle, he promptly turned and ran away.
This little exercise in barnyard psychology applies to people as well as animals. If a group of terrorists threaten us, or attempt to attack us, or successfully attack us, we could drop to our collective knees and beg them not to hurt us, but it would be an incredibly stupid thing to do. That would guarantee not only an attack, but a probable attempt to annihilate us as a country and as a people.
The only thing that works, whether with animals or animalistic people is to make sure they pay a staggering price for their actions, and in addition, make sure they know that the price they will pay for any future aggression is annihilation.
Talking is fine. It makes some people feel exceptionally important to let them talk, but, when dealing with vicious animals or people, it is invariably counterproductive. Why? Because it gives an aggressor a power-rush. They know they have won a round, and they are eager to try for another win.
Let us hope that will not be the philosophy of our new President, because if it is, we are in for a rough four years.
As I opened the steel gates and entered the area where the dairy goats reside, the buck decided to challenge me. He did that odd thing bucks do; he reared up high, standing almost straight upright, then came down on his front feet in a feint, as though he was going to butt me.
Now, I could have dropped to my knees and begged him not to hurt me, but, if I had done that, he would have immediately proceeded to wipe the floor with me. Instead of being conciliatory, I yelled at him, jumped toward him, and told him in no uncertain terms what I would do to him if he so much as tried to attack me. Though he is faster than I, stronger than I, and outweighs me by a lot of pounds of hefty muscle, he promptly turned and ran away.
This little exercise in barnyard psychology applies to people as well as animals. If a group of terrorists threaten us, or attempt to attack us, or successfully attack us, we could drop to our collective knees and beg them not to hurt us, but it would be an incredibly stupid thing to do. That would guarantee not only an attack, but a probable attempt to annihilate us as a country and as a people.
The only thing that works, whether with animals or animalistic people is to make sure they pay a staggering price for their actions, and in addition, make sure they know that the price they will pay for any future aggression is annihilation.
Talking is fine. It makes some people feel exceptionally important to let them talk, but, when dealing with vicious animals or people, it is invariably counterproductive. Why? Because it gives an aggressor a power-rush. They know they have won a round, and they are eager to try for another win.
Let us hope that will not be the philosophy of our new President, because if it is, we are in for a rough four years.
