men have been chivalrous towards women for about a thousand years now, and where has it gotten us??? if we had any brains at all, we'd have given up much sooner.
ok. most people know (i hope) that i'm a sucker for a one (or 2) liner. just couldn't resist that.
now that i've gotten that out of my system, let me say that it's about time chivalry (in the sense of holding doors for ladies, or standing up when they enter a room), if not quite dead, should be put out of it's misery in a quick and humane manner.
i think it's a wonderful thing that women's rights (and all other rights groups) have come along and finally clobbered some common sense into the general public. having someone hold your chair when you are seated is pretty poor recompense for not having property rights or voting rights. or the right for equal pay and education. as a simple meaningless "courtesy" at a formal dinner, it's fine in my opinion. but as a pervasive, everyday, everywhere practice, this kind of chivalry towards women can lead to too many negative social ramifications, even if only on the subconcious level.
on the other hand, while there can never be too much,and it can well be said that there's too little, i think that chivalry in the sense of being magnaminous and courteous to others in general is neither dead nor dying. nor should it. my rule of thumb is to
always be courteous (give up seat on train, get the door, etc.) for: the elderly, the handicapped, obviously pregnant women, and people carrying babies. other than that, i'm courteous in general, but i believe the door should swing both ways. i don't feel the need to give up my seat on the train to someone simply because they happen to be female.
too many of the woes of on our poor planet are simply due to the fact that we see our selves or our group as being different from (and all too often, somehow superior to) others. the less of that kind of nonsense the better.
