Gentle People

Thanks for Colman Andrews’ beautifully written essay (“Gentleman Lost,” Dec. 17). To combat today’s vulgar sensibility, examples of virtue have to be extolled. The current gentleman is a man who does the right thing even when it pays to do the wrong thing.

Nicholas Schroeder

Redondo Beach

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Colman Andrews can hold the door for me any time.

Lavon G. Urbonas

Hacienda Heights

Andrews characterizes gentlemen as courteous, diligent, fair, humble and thoughtful. Each of these virtues is a building block of a civilized society, but since when are they sex-linked? Andrews fails, to finesse the fundamental problem. Traditional etiquette calls for women to be treated in a sexist and stereotyped manner.

All people of goodwill, men and women, should keep their word, hold doors for whoever follows, give up bus and train seats to those more in need of them and learn to both lead and follow in ballroom-dancing class. Any world worth living in that does not have one standard of behavior, good behavior, that applies to everyone, regardless of gender.

Kay M. Gilbert

Santa Monica