All those impostors who lied about being in the military when they weren’t, lied about earning medals of valor when they didn’t, have just gotten a get-out-of-jail-free card.
A federal judge in Denver has ruled that the Stolen Valor Act, which made it illegal to falsely claim any military decoration or medal, is “facially unconstitutional.” The law violates the First Amendment right of free speech.
Great. Now military impostors like my ex-husband, who told me that he won Australia’s equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor, so that I would believe he was a responsible and trustworthy man, are free to lie all they want. Lying about military service is protected speech.
This is outrageous. As I wrote back in February in Stolen Valor v. First Amendment, the problem isn’t just that these liars dishonor the achievements of those who actually served. They usurp the regard of true heroes in order to deceive people.
Read Charge dismissed in fake hero’s case, Valor Act ruled unconsititutional on denverpost.com.
Link submitted by a Lovefraud reader.
Ox Drover
Most instances of fraud are not prosecuted at ALL. If they have or are good attorneys they get away with it. This is just another instance of FRAUD.
Teacher, I think adultery is still prosecuted to some extent in the military and they have other rules as well….the policy now is most recently “don’t ask, don’t tell” as far as being gay is concerned, but there is a push for open serving of gays in the military, so don’t know how that will play out in the long run.
Yes, FRAUD as I understand it is lying with intention to deceive someone and get something by doing so….so how is that different from claiming valor you didn’t earn?
Wini
Oxy, what type of FRAUD? Company fraud, or individuals conning other individuals?
Ox Drover
All of the above, actually. FRAUD is as I understand it representing something false to get you to give me access to your money/possessions.
Silvermoon’s husband committed FRAUD by saying he was not married when he married her, it was classed as “bigamy” lying about being married and then marrying, but none the less, it was LYING–and getting the other person to treat you as if what you said (and they believed) was the truth—so to me at least, LYING about being a war hero or a veteran is FRAUD=lying=Illegal, NOT “protected speech.” Just as lying about being married so someone will marry you is FRAUD as well.
Many times DAs don’t want to prosecute fraud because it takes time and effort and the courts usually will not give them much if any sentence anyway. Just like silvermoon couldn’t get them to prosecute bigamy as it isn’t a “serious” crime TO THEM, only to the WOMEN and MEN who are defrauded and whose lives are TORN UP!
Just like John Edwards didn’t do anything that we know of that would get him arrested, but he sure DEFRAUDED his terminally ill wife when he lied to her. Protected speech? I guess, maybe, but damn there “ought’ta be a law….” The “no fault” divorce laws are not, I think, all they are cracked up to be. There ought to be some provision for people like Elizabeth Edwards…..who knows she is dying and that her children will be with their father and which ever woman/women he is with. Unfortunately I don’t think she can prevent that. Just because a parent is proven reprehensible and immoral, a lying cheating fraud “doesn’t mean he isn’t a good father.” Where is the puke emoticon when you need one? : (
But then, what do I know, right?
teacher123
I just did browse the original article which I will have to go back and really look at- sounds like good stuff. This was in our local news today. The man who wrote the Stolen Valor book is not giving up. He along with lawyers are filing appeals. Also along with the P.O.W. network or website that identifies frauds the Stolen Valor site does as well. If nothing else the fact that liars are identified on the internet may save someone else who bothers to check. Here is the link for that. Apologies if this was done before- again I didn’t follow the original story on here when it came out.
http://www.stolenvalor.com/
Ox Drover
Interesting information on the stolenvalor dot com site….most of these LIARS didn’t JUST LIE…they used the lies to get VA benefits (how could they do that, doesn’t the VA check records before giving benefits?) or to get glory or VOTES (can you imagine a politician lying about that kind of thing? LOL) wasn’t there someone in the last election who got his tit caught in a wringer over his claims about his “service in viet Nam” when he was never there? Can’t remember who it was, but was obviously “embarasing” to him to be caught LYING.
Most of the people who do this do it to GAIN something…either trust, money or benefits, votes, admiration, status….so to me it is FRAUD.
You can go to just about any flea market in the country though on any saturday and buy all the medals you want to, even though it is illegal I believe to sell them. You can buy all kinds of original war records and certificates of achievement and honors. A little white out or an eraser and presto, you are whatever you want to be.
Just like my neighbor “crazy bob” was working for CIA, FBI. was a Navy Seal, made 5,000 parachute jumps in Viet Nam and was a CPA but the only job he could find was driving a truck. LOL ROTFLMAO
Wini
Oxy, our AG running for Governor just got caught in this lie. Insisting to all the Vets that he did his tour in Nam, when in reality he was in the reserves.
Now he’s back peddling his being caught and saying he’s sorry. He takes full responsibility for his deception.
A lie is what it is. False representation of yourself or a situation. It’s manipulation at it’s finest.
Give me a break. My husband did 2 tours in Nam in the early 60s when they were still spraying Agent Orange. His file in the VA was over 5 or 6 inches thick. He got cancer from it. Died of ALS.
As soon as he died in March of 1998, my managers went after me to oust me of my job thinking, she lost her Dad in 1995, now her ex, and her mom’s dying of lung cancer. All her close allies in her life are gone or going soon. Off with her head. Go for the jugular.
You are correct about our real veterans not getting their foot in the door for employment when they came home from Nam. It’s disgusting how all the cowards avoided the draft, got their Ph.Ds or higher, doctorate degrees, law school degrees etc. Then when it came to hiring a Vet … these arrogant ash holes didn’t want them around because to look at a vet, and knowing they were sitting pretty with their high degrees and good paying jobs would prove each and every day just looking at a Vet … who the real heroes were and who with their degrees are the cowards!
Because I recognized the timing my bosses went after me … when they knew I lost everyone in my life (they did this before when my uncle died in the 80s and were doing the same MO again, kick them when they are down routine) … and knowing they all got their degrees during the Vietnam era … I stood my ground no matter what they threw at me (and they threw the book at me) … because if my father could serve in the war, my ex served in the war … my mom stayed faithful to my dad during the war … I could honor their memory and stand my ground.
Peace.
Remember the quote in the original article for our posts…
“This is outrageous. As I wrote back in February in Stolen Valor v. First Amendment, the problem isn’t just that these liars dishonor the achievements of those who actually served. They usurp the regard of true heroes in order to deceive people.”
Ox Drover
Wini, Maybe you could make a big poster and say something like He’s no VET, he’s a liar! and walk around the voting area just fasr enough to be legal and remind folks not to vote for him.
kat_o_nine_tales
My old bf went to great lengths to make sure he couldn’t be prosecuted for any of the stuff he did. He spent hours searching the internet for legal loopholes to jump through.
The law did finally catch up to him, though. He was just convicted of grand larceny for cooking his bosses books behind his back and pocketing the difference. Apparently he was doing it for years and was caught by accident (an IRS audit or something).
Over the years he has pissed off a lot of the wrong people: cops, social services, child protective, lawyers, judges, etc. by lying to them. Now apparently somebody is doing some major investigation into his lies, he has just been charged with falsifying legal documents, forgery and bigamy! Boy am I glad I didn’t marry that one!
kat_o_nine_tales
These liars ought to remember that freedom of speech goes both ways.
Ox Drover
HEY,, KAT MY GIRL!!!! Where on earth have you been!!! GLAD To see you back and great news that your X is in the pen! Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving guy!
WELCOME BACK, hang around for a while GF!!!!! ((((Hugs)))))