Chivalry: what exactly the hell is up with it? Any mention of it invariably takes the tone of "it’s dead" or "it’s dying." Katie Morford examined it in a feature for the Collegian.
"For me, chivalrous actions could never die out," said a K-State sophomore. "Only the definition of the acts change[s]."
True chivalry still exists on our campus, particularly in different student groups that promote it among members. The K-State chapter of FarmHouse Fraternity, founded in 1921 as an agricultural club, is known on campus for its chivalrous men.
"We emphasize that for true chivalry to occur, one must not separate the social aspect from the moral aspect," said a FarmHouse representative. "Farmhouse has established its reputation for being gentlemen as a result of its foundation in Biblical truths."
Biblical truths? Does it really take that much effort? No, according to a separate editorial that ran in the same paper (this is obviously a huge issue round these parts).
The best way to do this is pretty simple. Guys, open the door for the girl behind you on your way to the dining hall; hold the elevator for the girl racing to make it to her first class, and when the gal behind you at Wal-Mart only has her ‘10 item or less’ armful, let her jump ahead of you and your overflowing basket of Gatorade and fruit snacks. Do the little things that make life less of a hassle. It doesn’t take much effort to be polite.
Good advice. I didn’t care much, however, for the way the piece began.
Chivalry is not dead, but it is dying.
It’s sad to think about how uncommon it is, and if it keeps up at the rate it’s falling, it’ll be gone like a rabbit being chased by a couple of basset hounds. But we must not let chivalry slip away from us as easily as the terrified hare. We must work to keep chivalry alive and thriving.
Who brings this stuff up? I can’t say I’ve really ever heard a woman complain about doors not being held, etc. I’m not saying they don’t have grounds for complaint (I’m also not saying that they do, for that matter); I just can’t imagine that it’s really such a huge issue.
Rigorous "debates" over whether chivalry is "dead" or "dying" or "being chased by a couple of basset hounds" are largely just an excuse for middle-class conservative twits to fall all over each other pointing out how each guy is THE LAST IN THE WORLD to actually hold the door or pick up the check. Clearly this is proof of the deep, abiding respect with which women are cherished, especially if this mindset extends to abortion rights. Or the prosecution of rape. Or whether you guffawed when your dad called Hilary Clinton a cunt, then you repeated the "joke" to your friends.
We like to romanticize the past as being full of knightly men so gallant that all women felt empowered, held their heads high when they walked into a room (someone held the door for them), and never had to worry about intimidation, harassment, or violence. If this is not a hazy legend, if it is indeed true, why has it been so easily forgotten? Backlash to modern feminism? Okay, getting off my soapbox now so someone else can enlighten me.
[Source: K-State Collegian]
