What Is Honor?

Exactly what is honor? Does anyone out there, in reader land, know what honor means? What does it mean? Especially, in our screwed up times, here on earth. Well I had to look it up, just to be sure, and on definitions.net it means...honesty, fairness in ones believes, and actions. OK, I know you guys are asking yourselves, what's this leading into? Did you know, that there was an honor code amongst the Samurai, called (1)Seppuku, it was a form of suicide. So that Samurai could die with honor, rather then falling into enemy hands. But...also so, they wouldn't be put threw torture. (2)The English word for honor, translates into, the Greek word "time" and it also means, esteem and being esteemed, to the highest degree, or...it means the act of dignity itself.  

To me this little tidbit, which was taken from the web-site called sepdiamutiny.com, really represents to me, what honor really means;

OK, now get this...I thought this story was really neat, tragic, and sad, all at the same time. But...it was really "wonderful," at the same time too. A man named Hatim Katria, was a U.S soldier and American citizen. Who was born in Dahod in the State of Gujarat. The story gets even better party people. Because Hatim was a 23-year-old, American-soldier, who just happened to be Muslim. He was killed while fighting in Iraq! So what did his Muslim brothers and sister, in the town he was born in, go and do? These wonderful Muslims, honored him, by giving him a martyr's death. This happened in 2005, and is a true story. Thousands of people, lined the streets, carrying his dead body. So I guess, stereotyping all Muslims, as being "bad people," is wrong! When thousands of Muslims, can openly honor, one of there own, fallen Muslim, American, soldiers.

So why is it honorable, to give ones life in battle?

I believe in what Gandhi believed  in. I believe in "passive resistance!" Truth implies love, and firmness. He called the Indian-Hindu movement Satyagraha; which means, the force which is born, of truth and love, or...from non-violence. It was a civil resistance. He called it a love-force or...soul-force! Yes, violence still happened, but Gandhi said; "we must use, patience and compassion, to combat violence. His doctrine came to mean, the vindication of truth. Not by inflicting suffering, on the enemy, but by inflicting suffering on ones-self. He then came up with, whats called, passive resistance. Gandhi was one man, whom freed, an entire nation. Not with "blood and war," but with a non-violent resistance movement. A movement that worked, and freed, an entire nation, from English rule.

There is no honor in any war! At least, thats how, I feel about it. Unless, that war is to save millions, from being, senselessly slaughtered. What other causes, could there ever be, for a single person, to throw away the most important thing, that they have...with that thing, being their lives. What is honor anyway, when our society values "money," more than any person, in our society? I'm talking about honor, because...I've heard a lot of people, using, that overrated word, a lot lately. We as a people honor money! But...do we love and honor each other? No! Would any greedy Senator, or... Governor in Washington, be willing, to send their son's or daughter's, to be blown to bits, by bombs, or...by a suicide bomber? All in the name of honor! No! What's so honorable, about an unfulfilled, un-lived life...that was taken, because, of a forgettable cause? I'm tired, of seeing my fellow Americans, being blown to bits, maimed, or...forever damaged, all in the name of honor.

There are, some good uses, for the word honor. To honor ones mother and father, but...even that, should only be followed, if, you parents, hadn't mistreated you, and where worth honoring. I personally believe, honor, like so many other words, that where found in the bible. Where really meant, to in-slave, the human race! In-slaving us, and the world, in becoming, governmental toys. How? Because...if, you took out the word honor, when talking about, dying for your country. You would just be dead, and there wouldn't be, anything honorable about it! So you probably, wouldn't so easily give up your life, or take someone else's, over an un-honorable, or...no honor war. Your life, by the way, is the most important thing, anyone of us, will ever have. Did you know, that there's a wall somewhere, where soldiers, I believe that where killed in Vietnam War. Whose names are in-craved on that wall. There are thousands of soldiers names, sketched on that wall. But do these names, really mean anything, to anyone now? Most of those men, would probably still be alive. If they hadn't fought in that war! Do you think, anyone thinks, when they see that wall; "gee, that was a real honorable act, that I'm seeing on this wall. With all those names sketched out, on this really nice buffed granite wall." A wall, where thousands, upon thousands of names, are etched. No! They're probably thinking, what I think, every-time, I've walked by a memorial like that. I'm thinking "what a waist of human life! Looks like, their will be more people, I'll never get to meet!"

Look party people, I've said it before, and I'll say it again; "there is no honor, in killing, or being killed!" All there is, are more names, to add to a quasi-honorable-mural somewhere. So what is real honor then, you're probably asking yourself? Real honor, is respecting yourself, human life, and all the life that surrounds you on earth! So exactly what is acting honorably then? Acting honorably to me, would be being friends, with someone who needs you. Or helping strangers and loved ones, in some special way. There was a saying from a movie I love, about the civil war. Where my favorite female character said; "if men didn't make the rain (meaning war), then there would be no rain (meaning war)! How we feel about honor, might make, how we feel about war...change! But the way things are going. Thats, probably never going to happen, and that's humanity's lose. No matter how far we travel, we can never really change. As long, as the world and everyone in it, associates honor with practicing violence, killing and starting wars.