I am often surprised by the social behavior of certain young women who call themselves conservative. Conservatism is not just an ideology; it is a lifestyle. On college campuses telling the difference between liberal and conservative women is nearly impossible when they behave in an equally undignified manner. Conservative women should display their values through their lifestyle. This means acting like ladies, because the difference between conservative and liberal women should not just be the way we vote.

The feminist movement’s war on conservatism in America has killed chivalry and trained too many women to think and act like men. As a result, many young conservative women do not know what it means to be a lady. Here is a good definition:

A lady does not tell dirty jokes along with men and she does not tolerate men telling dirty jokes in her presence. She does not swear, and she is not considered “one of the guys.” In spite of new fashion trends, a lady always dresses appropriately, leaving a lot to the imagination. When at a social gathering, a lady does not do things she will regret the next day. Above all, a lady is well-mannered, dignified, gracious, and kind.

Our society holds conservatives to a higher moral standard. When a woman acts like a lady she gains the respect both of men and other women. Besides, why would a conservative woman ever want to be mistaken for a liberal woman?

I have heard many of my male peers place women into three categories: “the ones to mess around with, the ones to date, and the ones to marry.” Though this is a rather crude way of categorizing women, it shows that men do recognize and value the qualities that make a woman a lady. Ladies are the kind of women that men can take home to Mom and Dad and that most men want to marry. Being considered “marriage material” is an indicator that a woman is to be respected; most men who deem a woman as such treat her with the utmost respect. For men, ladies are at the top of the female totem pole, and conservative women need to take pride in the fact that they are worthy of time, love, and commitment.

It is important for a conservative woman to be a lady both in the real world and on the internet. In our social-network-obsessed society, all it takes is a single compromising picture to ruin one’s social and professional reputations. It has become commonplace for young women’s Facebook profiles to be littered with pictures of themselves scantily clad in compromising situations, partying, inebriated, and even kissing other girls. Party girls are a dime a dozen and these profiles damage reputations far more than they help them. A conservative woman should be conservative at all times, especially when the cameras are rolling.

Lately, young women have taken to denigrating themselves and each other as “sluts” and “hos.” When women playfully call each other these things they make it okay for men to do it too. Much like the way Eve Ensler and her Vagina Monologues “reclaimed” the c-word, women on college campuses are reclaiming “slut.” I have seen many young women sporting “slut” backpack patches, and drinking from party cups with “slut” scribbled across the side. “Reclaiming” demeaning words does not empower women, and it certainly does not dilute their original meaning. With all of these self-proclaimed “sluts” on college campuses, conservative women should refrain from partaking in this trend and insist on calling themselves, and acting, like ladies.

As a teenager when I left my parents’ house to go out with friends, the last thing my dad always told me was, “Act like a lady!” At the time, I saw those parting words as a lack of trust, but I now recognize that his words were meant to be in the back of my head the whole night—and they always were. My dad no longer has to remind me to act like a lady whenever I am out; his words are engraved in my heart and mind and constantly keep me in check. It is about time that somebody told all conservative young women to “act like ladies.”