Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-24
Defense Reactions.


unit seems to have its automatic de-
Tense mechanism. Both physically and
psychically 1t is a fortress flying the
| flag of Survival, while its ramparts are
assailed by the hosts and artillery Of
Death.
The military tactics of the body alone
now are understood.
when an invading organism enters
the bloodstream millions Of emhattled
anti-bodies are rushed, like soldiers re-
spending to bugle, to resist the ad-
vance. If the garrison proves made
quate to check the enemy microbes,
bacteria, microbes. ETC.. reinforce
ments from outside. from the blood Of
other men or animals, can be brought
into action by the needle of the physi-
clan.
Less is known of the defensive action
Of the mind, or of the character which
underlies the mind. Yet 1t also appears
to possess soldiers with which to resist
extinction of the individuality. These
forces work as automatically as the SOL
diers of the blood.
There are anti-bodies in the SOUL
The personality unit is equipped to re-
sist many types of invasion besides that
by disease organisms.
Take, for example, a murderer,
selfish and brutal fellow, convicted and
sentenced to execution. The personality
revolts against extinction. The psychic
organisms rush to the defense. strength
ened by the emergency. The mans
character seems to undergo a complete
change, at least specifically. Probably,
temporarily at least. it is deep and
fundamental change. The sneak, the
tough guy" the bully, the fellow who
is brutally selfish and without mercy,
is apt to become in a remarkably short
time a likable-almost lovable-gen-
tleman.
The object sought by this defense
mechanism Is to create affection and
sympathy strong enough to defeat
justice. Sometimes it works. Nearly
always 1t works. so far as those in i'm
mediate contact with the condemned
man are concerned.
This result, of course, might be ac-
complished consciously. but not often,
nor very effectively. Few individuals
have SUFFICIENT genius as actors to carry
through such a sham" It would be
obvious to the shrewd observer and
would result in defeating its object.
There would be less sympathy than ever
for the buffer.
Ii seems likely that the change Is
brought about without any conscious
effort. Just as organisms rush to resist
a diphthsria invasion without conscious
effort.
The anti-bodies of love, generosity.
kindness. courtesy and sweetness prob
ably are present In the psychic per-
sonality OF every individual ever born.
They are ready when an emergency
calls for them to rush to the ramparts
and do battle against extinction. They
seek to spray the territory adjacent to
the personality fortress with the lethal
gas of forgetfuiness Of what has hap
pened In the past.
This seems to be the philosophical
explanation of the intense dislike OF
capital punishment among prison
guards and wardens They hope, almost
az sincerely as the condemned men,
that some way out win be found before
the end
The three men executed at the Dis
trict jail Friday furnish case In point.
Something akin to affection seemed to
have grown UP between the guards and
Moreno and Eagles, especially Moreno.
Their psychic defense mechanism had
made these gunner, brutal fellows as
they were once. very iikable chaps.
Proctor's defense mechanism seemed to
work in another way. that Is, the SYM
pathy for him was greater outside than
inside, but it was due largely to the
same process.
This, of course, has nothing to do
with the right or wrong Of capital pun
ishment itself
Nature does not play faVorites. She
has provided the gunman and the saint
with the same sort of psychic defense
mechanism.