The Code of the American Cowboy

The Code of the American Cowboy

Wayne's westerns were full of action but usually not excessively violent. "Fights with too much violence are dull," claimed Wayne, insisting that the straight-shooting, two-fisted violence in his movies have been "sort of tongue-in-cheek." He described the violence in his films as "lusty and a little humorous," based on his belief that "humor nullifies violence." His conservative taste deplored the increasing latitude given to violence and sex in Hollywood. In the 1960s he launched a campaign against what he termed "Hollywood's bloodstream polluted with perversion and immoral and amoral nuances." Most of his westerns steered clear of graphic violence.

1. A cowboy does not judge color of skin, but by character within.
2. A cowboy always respects a lady and tips his hat to all that pass him by.
3. A cowboy stands strong for what the American frontier is all about: Freedom, Truth, Justice and the American way.
4. A cowboy will not be wronged, nor wrongs another. The justice he deems out depends on that.
5. A cowboy is loyal, and hard working and maintains a high ethic.
6. A cowboy loves his country, and will fight for it's principles and sovereignty.
7. A cowboy respects his animals and the earth they roam upon.
8. A cowboy is faithful to what is entrusted to him.
9. A cowboy is bound by duty, honor, and gratitude for what God has given him, which includes his friends and family.
10. A cowboy maintains a hidden code in his heart, for all to see.
    (From Patrick Wayne's Eulogy to his father.)
    

    
    
    
    

I think that says it all