I read Ceefax and Teletext Letters Pages every day.One strange feature of these is how many people try to defend themselves against accusations which were not directed against them in the first place.
A letter might criticise hooligans causing trouble on street corners - as sure as eggs is eggs, a response will come in stating " I am a young person and I am not a troublemaker."
A letter criticises reckless single parenthood - a letter rings in telling how somebody's spouse was tragically killed leaving them to cope alone.
One correspondent attacks those conning sick benefits out of the state will inevitably result in somebody saying, " Why are you picking on us? I have had [fill in a terrible disease or condition] for years and I ..."
The same applies to tax dodgers, unemployment, illegal immigration, criticism of a section of any group on their bad manners and countless more.
Why does this phenomenon exist?
Why are people so defensive when they are in the right?
It would naturally make considerably more sense if their answers were to say, " I too deplore ..... it taints genuine people like myself who ... "
They seldom do!
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