re: Sir and Ma'am..... Do you use it?

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How could they "not mean" sir or maam?

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I'm assuming those words are an intention to convey respect. If they are said without obvious respect behind them, they can be said without meaning them. The same thing could be the case for telling someone thank you when you clearly don't mean it. You seem to be arguing for the idea that merely saying the words convey respect, whereas I disagree and feel that true respect can come with or without a set of words.

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It is one way to show respect, and in the South it's one of the most basic and widely recognized.

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I agree, but I think it's why it has little weight for me...because it's oftentimes (as in my anecdotal stories) seen as a default without much thought put in to WHY the words are used. when that happens, at least to me, the weight the words ought to carry drop away.