So, were you a conscientious objector?
In my opinion, what Jesus is saying is not that people can't legitimately defend themselves--I don't think Jesus would say that Christians should just sit by while their enemies massacre them--but what I think he is saying is that (1) you shouldn't hate your enemies. You should pray for them and pray for their salvation. (2) I think that he is saying that the answer to violence isn't always violence--you shouldn't let yourself be provoked by others into un-Christian actions. (3) I also don't think Jesus is saying that we can't have laws to protect society, but I think he says we should make moral judgments about the actions of others--that is for God to decide.
This isn't dogma, of course, but it's just what I think. I don't think Jesus intended to cripple the functions of society and government, only provide a guide for the behavior of Christians.