I personally think walkable cities are a very good thing. But I think it is important to understand why some people value driving and become defensive.
Many of the people I talk to who are defensive about driving are concerned with the affordability of housing. These people are often commuting from more affordable areas and are concerned with anything that extends their already long commute.
So I think it’s best to avoid characterizations of these people as lazy or selfish. They are really just trying to balance their life with a different crippling societal problem. We need to be careful to craft our arguments for walkable cities in a way that appeals to a broad audience.