TennesseeTuba68
'Papa Burgundy'
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2005
- Messages
- 129
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I had a sudden epiphany this past weekend. I was thinking to myself, 'what has happened to the once proud image of the southern male?' The question is simply answered by the basic response....he's been transformed. Think back to the age of Southern men such as Lee, Longstreet and Jackson. One could argue that the times have changed and men of caliber such as these are no longer a necessity of the 21st century. I would argue otherwise. I believe there is 5 basic principles to being a man of this caliber....
1.Piety- In this day and age, God is simply seen by some as merely an overbearing 'parent-figure' that has no bearing in everyday life. Men of the bygone era made God an important part of their daily lives. Lee was said to have prayed without ceasing and declaring that 'God's will' had been done at the Battle of Gettysburg. Jackson was seen as a great pious man with a love for God that was unequalled. Today if a man has a great love of God, he is considred crazy or a zealot.
2.Respect- Respect for both each other and women. Men treated each other as equals and had respect for each other. They did not bicker and fight as we do in the modern era. If a man had wronged you, you would approach that man and tell him he had wronged you, you would not strike him without notice or announcement. Women, although they had no suffrage or any other political facilities, were treated with an air of respect. A women was seen as one would view a well crafted painting. They would not cheapen women by saying that they were 'hot' or some other lewd comment that can be attached to women. They would not dare speak of them as we do today.
3.Honor-a word that has lost almost all of it's brilliance. The idea that the name you bear should not be tarnished with claims that you are a 'cheat', 'immoral' or worst of all...'coward.' Men were prepared to die if necessary to keep from detracting from a great reputation. Although most of us are not called to die to protect our honor, we still should strive to keep from bringing dishonor from a good name.
4.Commitment- Although this could be included under Honor, it was once believed that a good handshake and a reassuring word were all you needed. Now, if you want something done you must get a lawyer to draw up a contract and make sure the fellow does what he says he's going to do. This is all hogwash. We have let ourselves become infected with the disease of non-comittment. A modern man will leave you in the lurch before you can say 'hey'.
5.Refinement- If you look at modern man you will see a man that is without refinement. It used to be that well raised men were educated in the classics such as rhetoric, history, and the arts. The modern man in comparison is educated in such 'garbage' as coarse language, best ways to turn profits, and how to mistreat a lady. A refined gentlemen would do everything in his power to be a good host, a good husband, or good competitor.
Although this may seem as a negative way of looking at man in the modern world, it is simply a call back to what we once were. Ask anyone on the street what they think of when they hear the term 'southern male.' The picture they draw will not be a well accepted one by people such as myself. The southern male has gone from being a well educated, reliable, gentlemen to a beer-swilling, uneducated, skirt chasing redneck. This picture is one i wish i could change by snapping my fingers. The unwritten 'Southern Code' was one that was built over hundreds of years and it's declination has taken a hundred years. With that comes a plea to all men who read this. Become what we once were. All the positive traits without all the negative traits. To be a southern gentlmen does not mean that you must be a WASP (white anglo-saxon protestant). It means regardless of color, age, or social status, we should all seek to exemplify what the southern male once was. We must all seek to be what was one a proud image of humanity. One must aspire to become that which has become watered-down by time and social upheaval. The time is now. We must draw the line here or else prepare for the extinction of the Southern Gentlemen.
1.Piety- In this day and age, God is simply seen by some as merely an overbearing 'parent-figure' that has no bearing in everyday life. Men of the bygone era made God an important part of their daily lives. Lee was said to have prayed without ceasing and declaring that 'God's will' had been done at the Battle of Gettysburg. Jackson was seen as a great pious man with a love for God that was unequalled. Today if a man has a great love of God, he is considred crazy or a zealot.
2.Respect- Respect for both each other and women. Men treated each other as equals and had respect for each other. They did not bicker and fight as we do in the modern era. If a man had wronged you, you would approach that man and tell him he had wronged you, you would not strike him without notice or announcement. Women, although they had no suffrage or any other political facilities, were treated with an air of respect. A women was seen as one would view a well crafted painting. They would not cheapen women by saying that they were 'hot' or some other lewd comment that can be attached to women. They would not dare speak of them as we do today.
3.Honor-a word that has lost almost all of it's brilliance. The idea that the name you bear should not be tarnished with claims that you are a 'cheat', 'immoral' or worst of all...'coward.' Men were prepared to die if necessary to keep from detracting from a great reputation. Although most of us are not called to die to protect our honor, we still should strive to keep from bringing dishonor from a good name.
4.Commitment- Although this could be included under Honor, it was once believed that a good handshake and a reassuring word were all you needed. Now, if you want something done you must get a lawyer to draw up a contract and make sure the fellow does what he says he's going to do. This is all hogwash. We have let ourselves become infected with the disease of non-comittment. A modern man will leave you in the lurch before you can say 'hey'.
5.Refinement- If you look at modern man you will see a man that is without refinement. It used to be that well raised men were educated in the classics such as rhetoric, history, and the arts. The modern man in comparison is educated in such 'garbage' as coarse language, best ways to turn profits, and how to mistreat a lady. A refined gentlemen would do everything in his power to be a good host, a good husband, or good competitor.
Although this may seem as a negative way of looking at man in the modern world, it is simply a call back to what we once were. Ask anyone on the street what they think of when they hear the term 'southern male.' The picture they draw will not be a well accepted one by people such as myself. The southern male has gone from being a well educated, reliable, gentlemen to a beer-swilling, uneducated, skirt chasing redneck. This picture is one i wish i could change by snapping my fingers. The unwritten 'Southern Code' was one that was built over hundreds of years and it's declination has taken a hundred years. With that comes a plea to all men who read this. Become what we once were. All the positive traits without all the negative traits. To be a southern gentlmen does not mean that you must be a WASP (white anglo-saxon protestant). It means regardless of color, age, or social status, we should all seek to exemplify what the southern male once was. We must all seek to be what was one a proud image of humanity. One must aspire to become that which has become watered-down by time and social upheaval. The time is now. We must draw the line here or else prepare for the extinction of the Southern Gentlemen.
