District court judge rules in favor of phony war heroes

mookiemookie · 07-21-10, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Attention, phony war heroes: Dust off those surplus uniforms and shine up those medals awarded by eBay. U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn has ruled that the Stolen Valor Act is an unconstitutional abridgment of your free-speech rights to deceive the public and dishonor those who actually did the heroic acts that you can only dream of doing.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...hose-surplus-/

Despicable. I hope that this thing is appealed. What a slap in the face to true war heroes.

SteamWake · 07-21-10, 08:37 AM

This is the kind of crap you get when you stock the courts with liberal activists.

AVGWarhawk · 07-21-10, 08:43 AM

Torvald Von Mansee · 07-21-10, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteamWake

This is the kind of crap you get when you stock the courts with liberal activists.

WTF!?!?! Can't you EVER turn it off???

Jimbuna · 07-21-10, 09:25 AM

I've never come across this in the UK but it wouldn't suprise me if it went on here

August · 07-21-10, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteamWake

This is the kind of crap you get when you stock the courts with liberal activists.

He was a Bush appointee.

mookiemookie · 07-21-10, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by August

He was a Bush appointee.

I guess doing 30 seconds of homework isn't going to stand in the way of SteamWake's knee-jerk partisanship.

tater · 07-21-10, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteamWake

This is the kind of crap you get when you stock the courts with liberal activists.

He was appointed by W.

It's a legitimate question to ask what interest the government has. I'd need to know more to have a real opinion. Sometimes freedom has unexpected consequences we have to put up with.

mookiemookie · 07-21-10, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tater

It's a legitimate question to ask what interest the government has. I'd need to know more to have a real opinion. Sometimes freedom has unexpected consequences we have to put up with.

The government issued the medals. I guess you could take the approach that you're falsifying a government "document" or something along those lines. Free speech isn't unlimited and I think speech that's meant to defraud or deceive should be limited.

August · 07-21-10, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tater

He was appointed by W.

It's a legitimate question to ask what interest the government has. I'd need to know more to have a real opinion. Sometimes freedom has unexpected consequences we have to put up with.

I like the counterfeiting analogy they made in the article:

Quote:

The counterfeiter turns paper into wealth he did not earn, and in so doing dilutes the value of legitimate currency possessed by others. Service medals are akin to currency, but they are backed by blood, sweat and sacrifice. They are a form of recognition that has value because of the official regulations and honored traditions that govern the awards. Those who have earned the right to wear them, possess them or even say they were awarded them have acquired a tangible asset in the form of the respect bestowed on them by the public. Most recipients of military medals don't seek them, and many are unassuming about their awards after the fact. But the phonies seek only to profit from claiming to be among the ranks of these heroes. They impersonate specifically to seek gain in the same way the counterfeiter seeks to profit from making phony bills.

UnderseaLcpl · 07-21-10, 01:22 PM

Well that's disheartening.......

ETR3(SS) · 07-21-10, 02:01 PM

Well you could always ask to see a copy of the persons DD214. If they say they don't have one/never got one/"what's that?" they're a fraud. You can also request a copy of a persons DD214 from the National Archives, not sure how much it costs though. There's also mundane questions you can ask them like "what unit were you in in boot camp?", if that comes up with no answer of a sketchy one they could be a fraud.

Regardless of the other ways mentioned above there does need to be some form of punishment for crap like this. Life as a Trident sailor was boring and uneventful, but I don't feel the need to make crap up about my service. If you served, be proud that you served and did your job, not someone else's.

tater · 07-21-10, 03:36 PM

I think the guys doing this are indeed disgusting scumbags, don't get me wrong. I'm just not sure about with what basis a reasonable charge could be made.

It's sorta like burning a flag. I think it's a disgusting thing to do, but I also don't think it's the government's business if that's how some jackass wants to "express himself."

I think it would probably be illegal to impersonate an active member of the military, but claiming past service? Isn't it enough that the bulk of the US population would be disgusted with them if they were exposed?

GoldenRivet · 07-21-10, 04:24 PM

personally i think the "Stolen Valor" act needs re-addressing.

Yes... it should prohibit your local neighborhood 40 year old GI Joe wanna be from purchasing uniforms and medals to decorate himself as a veteran just for grins.

but it shoulndt prohibit people like me...

what I hoped to do is build my grandfather a flag case, inside this flag case would be a folded flag, and a Bronze Star, ww2 service medal and a few other things... but not now

Moeceefus · 07-21-10, 04:33 PM

They should be given the choice of 10 years in prison, or a tour of duty.

07-21-10, 08:37 AM	#2
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	This is the kind of crap you get when you stock the courts with liberal activists. __________________ Follow the progress of Mr. Mulligan : http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=147648

07-21-10, 08:43 AM	#3
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,253 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	__________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

07-21-10, 09:25 AM	#5
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,473 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	I've never come across this in the UK but it wouldn't suprise me if it went on here __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

07-21-10, 01:22 PM	#11
UnderseaLcpl Silent Hunter Join Date: May 2008 Location: Storming the beaches! Posts: 4,254 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Well that's disheartening....... __________________ I stole this sig from Task Force

07-21-10, 02:01 PM	#12
ETR3(SS) Ocean Warrior Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Between test depth and periscope depth Posts: 3,021 Downloads: 175 Uploads: 16	Well you could always ask to see a copy of the persons DD214. If they say they don't have one/never got one/"what's that?" they're a fraud. You can also request a copy of a persons DD214 from the National Archives, not sure how much it costs though. There's also mundane questions you can ask them like "what unit were you in in boot camp?", if that comes up with no answer of a sketchy one they could be a fraud. Regardless of the other ways mentioned above there does need to be some form of punishment for crap like this. Life as a Trident sailor was boring and uneventful, but I don't feel the need to make crap up about my service. If you served, be proud that you served and did your job, not someone else's. __________________ USS Kentucky SSBN 737 (G) Comms Div 2003-2006 Qualified 19 November 03 Yes I was really on a submarine.

07-21-10, 03:36 PM	#13
tater Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 9,023 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 2	I think the guys doing this are indeed disgusting scumbags, don't get me wrong. I'm just not sure about with what basis a reasonable charge could be made. It's sorta like burning a flag. I think it's a disgusting thing to do, but I also don't think it's the government's business if that's how some jackass wants to "express himself." I think it would probably be illegal to impersonate an active member of the military, but claiming past service? Isn't it enough that the bulk of the US population would be disgusted with them if they were exposed?

07-21-10, 04:24 PM	#14
GoldenRivet Subsim Aviator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 8,726 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	personally i think the "Stolen Valor" act needs re-addressing. Yes... it should prohibit your local neighborhood 40 year old GI Joe wanna be from purchasing uniforms and medals to decorate himself as a veteran just for grins. but it shoulndt prohibit people like me... what I hoped to do is build my grandfather a flag case, inside this flag case would be a folded flag, and a Bronze Star, ww2 service medal and a few other things... but not now __________________

07-21-10, 04:33 PM	#15
Moeceefus 中国水兵 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: New York Posts: 278 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	They should be given the choice of 10 years in prison, or a tour of duty.