Posted on 02/04/2010 1:16:04 PM PST by AstroTurf _Queen
The name of the act, "Stolen Valor", is somewhat misleading. A soldier who legitimately demonstrated valor in the service of his country can't have his valor stolen...nor his intelligence, honesty, or any other character trait. The coward who falsely wears decorations and awards is "stealing" or misrepresenting the material commendation (i.e ribbon or medal) received for the valor.
If you think of "valor", like intelligence, as a type of human capital, I think it's easier to see how this does bleed into the area of fraud. I suspect you generally agree with intellectual property protections. People don't wrongfully appropriate somebody's intelligence or thoughts, but rather the written, diagramed, representations of those thoughts which they then portray as their own. Similarly, one doesn't "steal valor", but represents another's (the real winners of such awards) as their own.
It may not be as marketable in monetary terms, but it is still personal capital. Can you mention one instance where a person would misrepresent themselves as a medal winner where it was not for some type of personal advantage?
It depends on what the meaning of the word “is” is.
The Declaration is the first document in the US Code.
http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/organiclaws.txt
To deny the Natural Law basis of our founding is to reject the basis of our Constitution. “That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men,” are not empty words.
Usually, but we are talking about the rapid slide to despotism here, in that "truth" is relative or worse yet, what the powers-that-be will say it is. Already we have their sympathetic synophants in the press declaring their lies as truth. There would be no jury in a world under the complete control of a despot.
It appears there is an agenda to take the First Amendment and twist it like a pretzel, rendering it meaningless. When the First goes, all the others will follow, and none of us will have any rights anymore.
Give me one example where somebody would wear an unearned medal that was not intended to benefit them...even if it was simply for self-aggrandizement, or because the pretty colors matched their clothes and eyes, it's (at least in their mind) advantageous to wear it.
They are using the medals as jewelry then to create a false impression. From a moral standpoint, this is deception to the onlooker, since each medal means something.
What these braggarts want is attention, and the remedy is to ignore them totally or call them on their elaborate lies in front of everybody (public humiliation). Once found out they usually slink away.
You are also not free to defame, that is injure another with your lie. So, only if your lie does not defraud, or defame (libel if written, slander if spoken), are you free to lie without legal repercussion. Defamation can be either a civil or criminal matter.
It can be argued that real veterans, and real medal recipients are demeaned or defamed by the fakers, and so the law can protect them.
Personally I'd just as soon see the real ones beat the snot out of the fakes. Including of course John F'n Kerry.
Please accept my thanks for your service. It is very much appreciated!
CA....
The abyss has no limit of them.
The US Code is law. Law is subject to the Constitution. The Constitution is not subject to law.
I just think it’s too nebulous of a harm to be actionable.
By the same logic by “lying” (as defined by Al Gore) about Global Warming, you are harming every American by threatening our very existance!
I think this should be settled by an ass-whooping, not a law.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.