Where have all the gentleman gone?

I married a gentleman.
I raised a son who is a gentleman.
I often notice a lack of Southern gentleman
in the current world around me.
Where have they gone?
The Southern gentleman was a fixture of my young life.
Men were the protectors and defenders of women.
All women and all children no matter to whose family they belonged.
Men don't open doors anymore.
Men speak coarse language and tell jokes that they shouldn't.
Some men abuse wives and children.
It is saddening.
I miss the old days.
Yes, I know, the womens lib movement caused a lot of the problem.
But we have a world where most men do not stand for anything.
They are lazy.
They don't lead.
They act like pouty children.
Their wives feel like they are raising another child.
That is sad and depressing.
We have two young Marines in our family.
They stand for something.
And are willing to die for something they believe in.
Now that is a gentleman!
Television portrayals of men these days
are mocking of men.
This just feeds the problem.
I guess the obligation to change lies with the younger generation.
You young mothers and fathers have a lot on your plate.
Encourage your sons to open doors.
Encourage them to do good deeds.
Teach them to stand for something.
Help them to be courageous when they are scared.
Teach them to push themselves harder.
And you parents push them harder than you think they can go.
They will surprise you.
Dads get those sons outside
hunting, fishing, camping, building forts, having battles, throwing mudballs, using knives, building stuff
having adventures.
Our son had knives, and hatchets, and guns.
We took him to gun safety class.
We taught him proper respect of those things.
He survived childhood with only a few minor incidents.
Teach them that life is not all video games and television.
And that is alright to get your clothes dirty.
And moms, your going to have to get out of the way and let your sons get dirty.
Let them risk being hurt.
Let them go camping with their Dads and have adventures in the woods
where you may not want or need to hear all the details of their trip.
If they come home with smelly clothes,
let them do their own laundry and handle it.
That won't hurt them either.
Pursue the old ways of raising a gentleman.
We will all be blessed by your efforts.