Porcupines are misunderstood. We hear the myths and exaggerations all the time:

  • A porcupine attacked my dog.
  • Don’t get too close — they’ll shoot quills at you.
  • Porcupines are aggressive and will whip you with their spiky tails.

None of this is true. I know first hand. Near our home, porcupines come out just about every night. They climb down from their trees (yes, that’s where they live) and waddle over to our front porch. When folks visit, we always ask, Would you like to pet the porcupine?

Our guests look at us in shock. Pet a porcupine? NO WAY! They’ll shoot their quills at me!

We smile, invite them outside, and show them the correct way to pet a porcupine — gently, in one direction, from front to back. Only then do our guests relax, and inevitably, someone says, They’re actually kind of cute.

It’s always fun to see fear replaced by curiosity, and then wonder. Because the truth is porcupines aren’t aggressive, mean or out to get you. They’re actually gentle, funny, and, believe it or not, will sit in your lap if you let them.

In a way, porcupines are a lot like your Republican neighbor or coworker. Misunderstood. Feared, even. But once you get past the myths and your own hesitations, you might find they’re not what you’ve been led to believe.

You’ve heard the misrepresentations:

  • Republicans hate immigrants — especially anyone from south of the border.
  • Republicans discriminate against anyone who isn’t white, male or straight.
  • Republicans want to rape the environment.

Once again, none of that is true.

Republicans don’t hate immigrants. Most of us support legal immigration because we believe America is a land of opportunity — but also a nation of laws. Like me, plenty of Republicans have immigrants in their own families. Some of us are even first-generation Americans. We recognize and celebrate the contributions of immigrants. What we oppose isn’t immigration itself — it’s chaos at the border and entering our country illegally. 

Republicans don’t discriminate against anyone who isn’t white, male or straight. The party has elected and appointed some of the most diverse leaders in the country — Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, Condoleezza Rice, Richard Grenell, and many more.

What we believe in is merit and individual achievement, not sorting people into identity groups. The four Civil Rights Acts, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the law recognizing Martin Luther King Day into law were all signed by Republican presidents.

Republicans don’t want to “rape the environment.” Many of us live, work and raise our families in the outdoors. We hunt, fish, hike and farm. We believe in conservation — just ask the many Republicans who have championed efforts to protect natural resources.

What we resist are heavy-handed government regulations that often create more problems than they solve. Many conservatives even believe that caring for our planet is a charge from God.

This column is my attempt to push back against these misconceptions. Like a porcupine, I won’t attack or shoot quills at anyone spreading these falsehoods. But if you come in swinging, I will rear up and let my quills be known.

And if I do my job well, that quill might sting a little. It might even stick with you for a while. But maybe — just maybe — once the shock wears off, you’ll take a closer look. And who knows? You might find that Republicans, like porcupines, aren’t what you thought they were.

Ari Ioannides is a recovering tech entrepreneur, founder of BootUP PD, and serves on local government and nonprofit boards. He offers a conservative perspective on local politics. He can be reached at [email protected]