For months, on college campuses across the country, we’ve been treated to the sorry spectacle of obnoxious women, mostly young, dressed like vagrants, hurling epithets and bellowing inane slogans like “free Palestine” and “from the river to the sea.”

Most of them have no idea which river or sea they’re screeching about, nor could they locate Gaza on a map. Or a hair stylist either, apparently.

Note that I say “women,” not “ladies,” which these insufferable harridans decidedly are not. Indeed, at times, the concept of ladylike behavior seems a relic of a bygone era. Perhaps it’s time conservative young women revived it.

Sadly, with the rise of militant feminism, the word “lady” fell out of favor, cast falsely as "sexist" and "patriarchal." It is neither. Rather, it is a token of respect and a badge of honor. Nevertheless, as someone whom in my day job frequently interacts with women young and old, I long avoided using it in public lest I commit a punishable offense against what we used to call political correctness, now known as “wokeness.”

Recently, however, following Donald Trump’s return to power and the reemergence of conservatism as a cultural force, I decided the heck with that.

So couple of weeks ago, I did something I haven’t done in years: I addressed a group of female students as “ladies.” You know what? Not one of them batted an eye. Not one gave any indication she had taken offense. Not one reported me to the dean.

I regard that as a positive sign. Because not only do I wish to resurrect the word “lady,” I hope to see the virtues it signifies become part of our dominant culture once again.

Unfortunately, young women these days have precious few role models, not only on campus but also in public life. For example, in a recent speech, Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (D-OR) declared that “we have to f--- Trump.” Whether she was speaking pejoratively or merely confessing her own carnal desire remains unclear.

All of which raises the question: Why do women feel the need to behave like the very worst version of men to show how tough they are? Indeed, this appears to be the leitmotif of third-wave feminism: “Men are awful, and the best way for women to prove they’re equal to men is to be just as awful.”

That seems counterproductive. I’ve always thought of women as generally better than men. Not necessarily smarter or more competent, although sometimes those things, too. But more gracious, more refined, less inclined to wallow in the mud.

Because that’s basically what it means to be a lady: to occupy a loftier position, in terms of speech, dress, behavior, and comportment. Not to act like an immature jerk, sophomorically impressed with your own naughty language. That is the domain of men, to our discredit.

Which is not to say ladies can’t be smart or tough or capable. Far from it. Some of the smartest, toughest, most capable people I know are ladies, including my mom, my wife, my daughter, and my daughters-in-law. Lord willing, my granddaughters will follow in their mothers’ footsteps and grow up to be ladies themselves.

Fortunately, young women today who desire to be ladies, not just vulgar caricatures of the least pleasant men, do have a handful of public role models. Tulsi Gabbard, Pam Bondi, and Caroline Leavitt come to mind. You won’t see them shrieking hysterically, pounding the podium while cursing like sailors, or wagging their finger in some other woman’s face like a drunken bimbo at a honky-tonk.

And yet, does anyone doubt their strength, their toughness, their intelligence, their determination, their ability to do their jobs well and efficiently? Even those who insult and attack these women obviously fear them, which explains the insults and attacks.

I’ll close by saying, to any college-age women who may be reading: the world needs more women who act like strong women, not like weak men. If we are to preserve this country and its culture for future generations, it’s not enough to cut the budget, root out fraud, shore up our defense, and end the foreign “migrant” invasion (although I’m all for those things).

We must return to a time when it’s not just okay for old-fashioned guys like me to say the word “lady,” but it’s okay for women to behave like one.

Image: Public Domain