Stolen Valor Act unconstitutional

[airborneranger]

^This. The First Amendment lets you say whatever the hell you want, lie about anything, as long as it doesn't cause anybody harm or loss.

Again, the folks I have seen and interacted with who were lying about service were all receiving some sort of benefit = stealing.

[Fmedges]

Can I dress up as a police officer and just walk around, I mean first amendment right? Why am I typing this at school? I should just be able to lie about having my degree.

[spyder]

If a guy was just lying, it's stupid to throw him in jail. Those who think it is ok have seriously not thought it through. You would let the government punish people for a moral issue that doesn't hurt anyone... Do you see where all this can lead? Now, I understand if someone was lying and getting military benifits because of their lies, I would want them to go to jail as that is theft.

The part about >just< lying about serving and having that be a punishable crime is just stupid and asking for more government rule in the future.

[buckeye4rnr]

I’d rather have a slew of asshat military fakers than continue to see our constitutional rights taken away.

[Rucker61]

There could just be an official squad the beats them within an inch of their miserable, lying lives. no jail, just a public, televised beating by real veteran volunteers.

Fixed it for you.

[spyder]

Can I dress up as a police officer and just walk around, I mean first amendment right? Why am I typing this at school? I should just be able to lie about having my degree.

It is different from a police officer as the military has no power over civilians in any way here.

[Scanker19]

while I think that people who lie about service are scum and should be kicked in the balls, they do so under the 1st amendment.... the very same 1st that you swore to defend.

Freedom is having people disagree with you. I don't want the "freedom" where everyone is in agreement.

The Military defends the freedom of lairs, flag burners, KKK, Neo Nazi, grandma, protesting the health care bill, protesting the SCOTUS, Protesting, this website, this discussion. It's a Thankless job by many people, but no one made you sign up, unless you were drafted.

We always say if they ban Saiga 12s then moss bergs with shoulder things that go up are next. Then O/Us, then this. This is the same concept but with the first.

There are laws in place about benefitting from false service.

If you're that insecure about your service that you get mad when someone says they did something they didn't you need to take a good look at yourself.

Are posers losers, lairs, and douch nozzles? Yes, but that's their right, until they use it to steal.

[Ridge]

Again, the folks I have seen and interacted with who were lying about service were all receiving some sort of benefit = stealing.

If only they could pass a law that made stealing illegal.

[Fmedges]

It is different from a police officer as the military has no power over civilians in any way here.

It is not. It is perfectly legal to dress up as a police officer and go about my business. If you run for office and claim to have won the medal of honor, did that claim influence people to vote for you? If you won can the argument then be made that your lies directly benefited you? That is exactly what Xavier Alvarez did. If I was in a job interview and I have valor awards on my resume, could I be considered for a job above other people because of it? If I said I was a Navy SeAL and then got stuff for free because of it, it that also ok? The thought that this is a victim less crime is foolish. The notion that I am mad about stolen valor because of my lack of military medals is also a foolish one.

So tonight maybe I should go down the the fire line in Colorado Springs dressed in my firefighting best. As long as I don't claim to be a firefighter then it is perfectly Ok. I can answer peoples questions, look official, maybe even make it on the news. In the world that you people want then that is perfectly acceptable.

[Ridge]

So would you rather everyone get arrested brim every Halloween?

Should parents who dress up like Santa Claus get arrested and put in prison?

How about actors filming a movie?