by J. Renda

Created on: July 01, 2009   Last Updated: July 05, 2009

"Gone with the wind, and out with the day's trash." Chivalry is facing an extinction as fast as the rainforest is depleating. There are third world coutries with more values and respect to manners than my own hometown of Niagara Falls NY. I have been given dirty looks for both saying 'thankyou' while having a door held open for me, and both looks for holding a door open for others.

Perhaps in my previous article I may have blamed society and celebrities far too much. After all should we not hold our celebrities that smack camera men, punch ex wives, urinate in public under the influence of alcohol and the teenage mothers on TV in high regards? Should we not thank them with a standing ovation for parading around our television sets wearing clothing that promotes sexual advances, men being videotaped talking about how they don't take care of the 11 children they fathered or the numerous cheating spouse shows? Chivalry should not be defined as just a behavior that was expected in the days of the ficticious King Aurthur. It is a set of accepted manners and decency that is not displayed as it once was back in the 1950's.

Men in the 1950's and Women both were just as capable as being drug addicts, envolved in closet domestic violence, alcoholics and poor parents as they are now. We are the ones that choose what we teach and don't teach our children. We are the ones that choose what we expect as acceptable in the home, and hope they continue it outside of the home. I saw a woman walking her toddler down the street while using her cell phone. Her daughter that looked approximately 3 or 4 yrs old was behind her by quite a few adult size steps. She said 'hang on a minute' to her partner in conversation on the line, held the phone away from her face and yelled behind her 'come on, hurry the f* up. You too slow." She then kept walking as the toddler ran to catch up and went on with her conversation as nothing unusual happened. It was appalling. The child looked about the same age as my current third child, whom I would never disrespect like that nor treat her like she was a chore, a burden, or less than a person. I instil values, manners, and respect, to include that I have authority over her but I do not abuse or muddle the fine lines of what is acceptable behavior.

Our so called "MTV" generation and Generation 'X' has not been expected to work for what they earn and there is an overall sense of entitlement. I work for a cellular phone carrier and face numerous customers who have children in the store demanding 200 dollar cell phones because their parents 'owe them', promised they could get whatever they want', demand it of them, or even throw tantrums at 17 and 18 years old. It is rediculous that we cannot police ourselves into providing our children with coping skills, manners, and cannot expect the rest of the world to expect their children to do what we don't expect of our own. Chivalry is barely alive anymore. It has had help with it's euthanasia. All of us are to blame in some ways, and those who aren't may you continue to try to make a difference one small gesture of manners and decency at a time.

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