The Supremes also struck down the Stolen Valor Act of 2006 today, so now I am left with trying to explain how I won all those Medals despite never having been in the military.

I can see the point made before the court, which is that people lie, and unless you are under oath not to then the Government telling you that lies are not legal is a way of controlling free speech.

On the other hand, I think this would blur the line between telling an absolute falsehood about a product (That Suit will make you look 50 years younger) and the legal use of Puffery (That Suit will make you feel 50 years younger).

I guess we will all have to go back to just relying on a persons' integrity.

What you're missing here Pook, is that unfortunately the truth doesn't count for much in today's US.

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Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

But one group who is not missing that point is the VFW. They have just announced that they are going to start tracking everyone they can that makes such a claim if the goal is to profit from it.

If you are an 80 year old Vet that pins on a Medal you cannot remember winning, well, that is one thing and not a very big one.

But if you are claiming to be a Medal of Honor winner in order to profit from it, and some people have done this, then the VFW intends to expose you to the world. In these cases there may be criminal charges bought due to trying to defraud someone, and the VFW wants these crooks to know someone is always watching.

Good for the VFW! Thanks for passing along this information Pook!

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2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

It's a felony to claim that you are an MOH awardee.
Case closed.

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With only 3,459 people who have ever been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, I can't believe someone would be dumb enough to falsely claim he had been awarded the honor. Obviously, though, people do.

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Yesterday's ruling allows a person to claim to be a medal winner, but it is still illegal to wear a decoration falsely.

I was dismayed when I heard about this decision the other day.
Forget medals. Even claiming non-existant military service I find despicable.
That's my opinion and its carved in stone.

These phoneys, in or out of the service ought, to do some time at Leavenworth or Portsmouth.
Hall of Stolen Valor - Military Times

So you've taken the time to log in but you're not interested in a discussion, because your opinion won't be changed. Got it.

Can you explain how, exactly, valor can be "stolen?"

If you, for example, served honorably in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and I, for example, decide to buy an Army uniform and Medal of Honor on eBay, put them on, and parade around telling everyone I won the MOH for my service in Iraq, how does that "steal" your valor?

I agree that, were I to do such a thing, it would be despicable and disrespectful. But I've not taken anything from you. My idiotic behavior does not diminish the fact that you served your country with honor.

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Not anymore. The Supremes decided that telling a lie is protected by the first amendment.

It was the very Felony law you are talking about that was overturned.

I can' believe someone would be such a low-life.

It is almost like a cry for mental health help.

My opinion of the character of those who do such things is carved in stone. That's me. End of story.


In a physical sense, valor of course cannot be "stolen" But then I didn't coin the phrase.
My time in service was mundane for the most part. How does that line from Mr. Roberts go? From tedium to boredom and back again? Most time at sea is like that. The only medal I got was the Nat'l. Service Medal. (Gee-dunk medal in Navspeak) But the last thing I would ever consider doing is embellishing my service.

But I just can't fathom how someone could try to pass himself off as belonging to a group of men like these. That's me.

Jack Jacobs, Medal of Honor, Vietnam War - YouTube
John Baca, Medal of Honor, Vietnam War - YouTube
George Lang, Medal of Honor, Vietnam War - YouTube
Joseph (Bob) Kerrey, Medal of Honor, Vietnam War - YouTube