Which lost its meaning of Honor first: the word, or the people?
HONOR as used in the Middle East, refers to women, their reputation as chaste or not, and how that reputation affects her family. But America once shared that meaning.
It used to be if someone insulted one's mother, wife, daughter, sister, to protect her "honor", you would go duel the individual, usually to the death.
But eventually in the streets of America, it became a sign of bravado to insult someone's mother. Then it became a game of oneupsmanship, even a fun competition. But alas it lost its meaning eventually for it longer meant anything to insult one's mother, sister, wife, girlfriend, baby's mama ecspecially when the family itself no longer had meaning.
It used to be in America that if a woman was called a 'whore', it was a terrible insult. Now, women flaunt their sexual escapades in the tabloids for a career boost, or a quick profit. Even women arrogantly exclaim they refuse to marry the men they 'cohabitate' with as some kind of defiance of "the oppression of marriage", such as Oprah or Goldie Hawn or Angelina Jolie.
The most famous porn star ever, Jenna Jameson, had the audacity to complain in a TV interview that her adoptive father didn't support her stripping lifestyle, which she said caused her to engage in drug use and eventually porn. Nevermind that stripping countervened his morality, and nevermind that he was her father. Of course now the entire world can see her engage in sex acts with anonymous men for the rest of her life. (God forbid that her father have a moral standard which told her what to do; she certainly showed him).
As for HONOR meaning integrity and commitment to duty and service:
Presidents have doled out badges of 'honor' and 'heroism' for decades while dripping in blood and hypocricy. Bush gave Paul Bremer AND George Tenet medals of heroism and spoke words of 'honor'.
Politicans have long said: " its an honor to be here in [insert town] speaking to [insert organization name]" . What does that mean? Platitudes- patronizing puffs of nothing.
And what does dishonor mean?
Is it dishonorable to: expose CIA officers to the public? Is it dishonorable to: lie to Congress, public, judges, the world, God? IS it dishonorable to: spill the blood of 100s of 1000s if not millions of people, to cause 100s of billions if not trillions in destruction and expenditures, to cause 10s if not 100s of millions of people to grieve, suffer, live in dispair and fear for no rational reason?
Which lost the meaning first: the People or the word?
