Partly inspired by a post on Seth’s blog, I started out just writing about fear of “the other.” I ended up using the title “Antibodies” because I think our reactions to scary things we don’t understand can resemble the way antibodies sometimes respond to infections in the body.

In short, antibodies aren’t always selective. They kill cells they don’t recognize, often indiscriminately. So while the infection may go away, so might many cells that make your immune system work. It’s a calculated risk, which is why a doctor’s prescription is needed for antibiotics. The wrong one might make you more vulnerable by eliminating your natural ability to heal.

Or something like that. The point is, lashing out against a perceived threat sometimes creates even more of a threat.