It was 94 years ago this month that the unsinkable Titanic collided with
a North Atlantic iceberg. Of the 1,327 passengers on board, 73% of the
women made it to the lifeboats, while only 7% of the men survived. That
fateful night, the bodies of 702 men settled into their watery graves.
Within days of the tragedy, women set out to build a fitting memorial.
First Lady Helen Taft donated the first dollar, explaining she was "glad
to do this in gratitude to the chivalry of American manhood."
Of course not everyone was thrilled. Some argued that the fund-raising
efforts were diverting attention away from the crusade to grant women
the right to vote. One politically-correct person argued, "Why not,
instead of having the memorial solely for the heroes of the wreck, have
it also for the heroines!"
But the grateful ladies persisted. In May of 1931 Mrs. William Howard
Taft unveiled the imposing 15-foot memorial, featuring
a man in a
Christ-like crucifix pose. The
statue was located in a splendid venue on the banks of the Potomac
River, just a little downstream from Rock Creek.
At the ceremony, congressman Robert Luce of Massachusetts pointed out
that the survival of so many women was "the reason for this memorial and
our presence here today." Other speeches hailed the chivalry and the men
who protected their families by sacrificing their own lives.
Some would say that the chivalry that is commemorated by the Titanic
Memorial is an anachronistic hold-over from a fading era of male
privilege.
But the truth is, chivalry is one of the strongest impulses in the male
psyche. And despite the feminist browbeating of men who hold open doors,
chivalry is very much alive and well.
Chivalry is one of the most potent forces that has shaped the course of
human history. Chivalry impelled medieval men to rise up and shield
their womenfolk from the Mongol invaders. Chivalry rings throughout the
Declaration of Independence, especially its stirring conclusion: "we
pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
One of the great icons of American culture is the southern gentleman who
would freely duel to the death in defense of womanly virtue, or the
Rhett Butler-types who spare nothing so their Scarlett O'Haras can save
their splendid plantations.
Give chivalry its due for the fact that in the United Kingdom, women are
allowed to retire at age 60, while men must sweat and toil another five
years. It's chivalry, of course, that motivates legislators to pass laws
that exempt women from the military draft.
Even in the heat of battle, chivalry rules the day. Remember Jessica
Lynch, that G.I. Jane-wannabe who passed out after her truck took a
wrong turn behind Iraqi enemy lines? Nine men in her company were shot
in the head, execution-style.
But when word filtered back that Lynch was being held in a remote
hospital, an elite assault unit of Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, and Air
Force Pararescue Jumpers volunteered to come to the aid of this
19-year-old damsel in distress.
Try to match that, Sir Galahad!
Chivalry plays out every day in our families and communities. That's why
men's earnings shoot up as soon as they get married, so they can provide
for their wives and children. These men accept risky or lonely jobs like
asbestos removal or long-haul truck driving. And these men work overtime
so their dearly-beloveds can live in their well-appointed dream houses.
And here's the amazing part - these men don't complain.
In December 1965 president Lyndon Johnson was scheduled to turn the
first shovelful of dirt for the gleaming Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts. But the Titanic Memorial stood in the way of progress.
So the statute was removed to an obscure Potomac River backwater. It's
not on many tourist maps. But if you ask around, someone can probably
point you to it.
When you arrive, you won't find any faded flowers placed by grieving
widows. But your efforts will be amply rewarded by the poignant words
inscribed on the pedestal: "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."
Carey Roberts has
been published frequently in the Washington Times, Townhall.com,
LewRockwell.com, ifeminists.net, Intellectual Conservative, and
elsewhere. He is a staff reporter for the New Media Alliance.
