Ossman Darwiche/ Staff Writer
Chivalry is not dead! It is very much alive and well. Though few and far between, there are those of us who still hold fast to the knot like lessons of our parents and grandparents. The old ways which they say sometimes, are the best.
In this case I’m referring, to those of us who are among the very last of the “Ladies, and the Gentlemen,” these “Beauties and the Beasts.”
Call me old fashioned, guilty as charged, some of us have old souls in young bodies. Some of us choose to live by a code, a personal code of honor and conduct which transcends the most revolutionary of contemporary trends. And indeed, we live in the most perilous of “trendy” times, where holding the door open or pulling a chair out for a lady could be misinterpreted as sexual harassment.
Alas, us men have all but forgotten what it means to be a man, to stand up for what is right in spite of one’s self. Regardless of our gender or sexual orientation, I believe we can still apply the classiness, the respect, and the courage our previous generations once possessed, to our own.
You may say that our predecessors were backwards thinking; you may claim male chauvinism or some other negative extreme of human history. But we cannot forget the lessons of those brave few men and women throughout history who stood for what is right.
Regarding recent news, I have this to say: if anyone is guilty of sexually assaulting anyone, male or female, he or she should be placed in prison for the rest of their lives. Such an individual forfeits all the natural rights and decency, all the dignity humanity rightfully aspires to.
Let us not turn this into a political issue, but find common humanity by finding the truth, not hearsay.
I remember my father and grandfather teaching me, that every woman is like a goddess, a gift from heaven, and that a gentleman should treat her as such, always.
I remember my mother and grandmother teaching me all the wisdom and love that I hope to one day find in a woman I can call my own partner.
Being true ladies and gentlemen goes far beyond the fancy suits and dresses, beyond the makeup and jewelry, for that is but the surface.
We are so much more! History does not only judge us by our words, but by our actions, by our dignity and strength of character!
It isn’t only holding the door open for someone or being courteous, these are but the basics.
We must learn to respect one another by placing the needs of others ahead of our own, a sense of selflessness which is what modern society lacks ever so desperately.
Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, hear me! Arise! Let not my words be written in vain! In the name of humanity rise up in spite of all the hate!
Let us take back the mantle of pride that was once ours even in the darkest times of history.
So that we too may say, as the legends of the past, that our time was indeed our finest hour!
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