A College Friend of Yours Who Has Been Postponing Taking

A college friend of yours who has been postponing taking any science courses hears you talking about the generation of nuclear energy in the Sun and makes the following observation: "The whole idea of the atomic nucleus is pretty ridiculous. If an oxygen nucleus consists of eight protons and eight neutrons, the charge on that nucleus is positive. Since even I learned in high school that like charges repel, such a nucleus would find all its positive protons repelling and quickly fall apart." How would you answer his argument?

A) gravity is much stronger than electric repulsion and holds every nucleus together
B) the neutrons in the nucleus are negative, so they cancel the positive charge on the protons
C) the nuclear force, which is attractive over short distances like the nucleus, and stronger than electricity, holds the nucleus together
D) the electrons outside the nucleus repel the protons and keep them inside the nucleus
E) there is no answer; scientists do not have a clue about how the nucleus manages to keep itself together