Titanic Women's Memorial, Washington D.C., U.S.A.
Posted on 04/13/2006 11:55:44 AM PDT by ReleaseTheHounds
Imagine a luxury liner sinking into artic waters with too few lifeboats for its passengers. Who would get those seats?
When the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, the answer was obvious: women and children had first priority. Why was this? Certainly, the male passengers could have over-powered most of the women and saved their own lives. What kept them from doing so?
Chivalry. The idea that part of being a man (and certainly part of being a gentleman) is to sacrifice willingly to protect those who are more vulnerable. Of course, all those aboard the Titanic were equally vulnerable to the near freezing water. The men who gave their seats in the lifeboats gave their lives. Out of all of the Titanic's passengers, 74 percent of women lived while 80 percent of the men died.
Christina Hoff Sommers began her review of Harvey Mansfield's new book Manliness by reminding readers of the memorial erected by women in 1931 to honor those men on the Titanic. The memorial's inscription reads: "To the brave men who perished in the wreck of the Titanic. . . . They gave their lives that women and children might be saved." As Sommers suggests, this overlooked memorial is a fitting symbol of the state of chivalry or even of manliness today:
"...almost no one remembers those men. Women no longer bring flowers to the statue on April 15 to honor their chivalry. The idea of male gallantry makes many women nervous, suggesting (as it does) that women require special protection. It implies the sexes are objectively different. It tells us that some things are best left to men. Gallantry is a virtue that dare not speak its name."
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
One word...Feminism
Both the men and women would be fighting each other tooth and nail NOT to board any of the lifeboats!
Screaming...throwing of things....claims of "passenger abuse"....crew and kids being trampled underfoot....!!
"I'm much more macho-ette....er...womanman....er.... manfem...than you ever could be!!"
Ship sinks with all hands...all kids....and all men and women long since dead after fighting with each other!
When a man does offer me his seat, open a door for me, etc., he gets my sweetest smile and grateful thanks.
Or did you forget to add something after your post?
You, are a true lady.
My mother would have beaten me senseless if she ever caught me doing something like this. So, in this day of age, I still do these things because it's part of my character. Plus, it allows me to see what a real woman is on occasion.
I was cruising HBO and ran across "Rosie O'Donnell's Caribbean Cruise." Since it was mostly (or exclusively) gay men and women (and their children), how would chivalry work? Lesbians and kids in the lifeboats with gay men drowning?
I wouldn't want to wrestle Rosie for a lifeboat seat!
Men like me will pass it on to my grandsons and it will not die.
Pretty much,
I used to say "yes ma'am", but two weeks in NY, and about a 100 "don't call me ma'am"s later i stopped.
I wonder if the stories of men being chewed out for holding a door or offering a seat to a woman are true. I've been doing so for going on 40 years now whenever I get the chance, all over the US, and have never had a female react in this manner.
Some just ignore me, but that's another issue. :)
My father would have beaten me senseless if I refused to yield a bus or subway seat to a lady. I always keep in mind that if my father knew that I failed to surrender that seat, I would be left unable to use it anyways....;-)
Chivalry died in men when "ladies"died in women!The women's movement made chivalry obsolete and taking a man to the cleaners standard operating procedure.
Good post.
Only being in my early 40's, I always call men "Sir", and women "M'am". I've had some women object to this, one even going so far as saying "What did you call me?", witha tone of indignation.
Still manage to take my cover off when enterting a building and wearing when outside. Habit, I suppose...
I once offered my seat on a crowded F Train to a VERY pregnant lady. She glared at me, and said, "Do you think I NEED it???" That was the only time I ever got a reaction like that. Usually, it's an amazed look.
LC
Chivalry died along with spelling lessons.
http://www.pottsoft.com/home/titanic/womens_memorial.html
Titanic Women's Memorial, Washington D.C., U.S.A.
The inscription on the Titanic Women's Memorial reads:
To The Brave Men
Who Perished
In The Wreck
of The Titanic,
April 15, 1912.
They Gave Their
Lives That Women
and Children
Might Be Saved.
Erected By
The Women
Of America.
The unveiling was performed by President Taft and his wife in 1931. People often assume that the memorial is to the women who perished on the Titanic, but if you read the inscription this makes it plain that it is to the men. Women in America raised the money and organized the building of the monument.
Titanic Women's Memorial © Steve Perez
Too true.
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